Windsor Lake

This 2.25 mile round-trip hike will reward you with a visit to beautiful Windsor Lake, tucked beneath striking peaks & ridges of the Mt. Massive Wilderness area. Don't let the low mileage trick you - this trail gains around 800ft. in the first .8 miles. 

Trailhead directions: From the west side of Leadville on Hwy. 24, take McWethy Dr. NW to Turquoise Lake Rd., drive west to Hagerman Pass rd. to the left, and follow it to the trailhead at Hagerman Tunnel.

Native Lake

A beautiful ~8 mile round trip hike, this trail will take you through switchbacks lined with Spruce & Fir before bringing you onto a Plateau that offers great views of both Mt. Massive & the Cloud City itself. The end point of Native Lake is set in a peaceful valley primed for an alpine picnic.

Direction to the Trailhead: From the traffic light at 6th St. and Harrison Avenue, follow Highway 24 south to mile marker 177 and turn right onto McWethy Drive/Lake County Road 4, across from the entrance to Colorado Mountain College. Follow Lake County Road 4 to the Turquoise Lake Recreation Area. Continue across the dam and along the south side of the lake. Turn left onto Forest Road 105/Hagerman Pass Road. Follow this road for 3.5 miles to the trailhead for Native Lake. Park here, the trail begins to the south of this parking area.

Timberline Lake

Set in the Holy Cross Wilderness area, this 4.4 mile round-trip hike just off of dazzling Turquoise Lake will take you up to a Timberline Lake, a stunning spot that offers pristine alpine beauty and cutthroat trout for anyone interested in some catch & release. 

Directions to the Trailhead: From the traffic light at 6th St. and Harrison, follow Highway 24 south to mile marker 177 and turn right onto McWethy Drive/Lake County Road 4, across from the entrance to Colorado Mountain College. Follow Lake County Road 4 for 1.5 miles, turn right onto Lake County Road 9. Follow Lake County Road 9 for 1.5 miles. Turn left across from the large, paved parking lot (Leadville Junction.) Cross the railroad tracks and the Arkansas River. At the T-intersection, take a right (north) and travel along this paved road for 7 miles to the trailhead for Timberline Lake.

Mt. Elbert - 14er Hike

This is it, Colorado's highest peak. Measuring in at 14,433, a trek up Elbert will treat you to stunning views & exhausted lungs. The most readily accessible Northeast Ridge route is about 9 miles in round trip length & will take you up 4,700ft. of vertical gain. While not technically demanding, this mountain certainly doesn't mess around - you'll be breathing hard 5 steps onto the trail. 

Directions to Trailhead: From U.S. 24 just south of Leadville, turn onto Colorado 300 and cross the railroad tracks. Drive 0.7 mile and turn left onto County Road 11 toward the Halfmoon Creek. After another 1.2 miles, turn right on the dirt road to Halfmoon Creek. Drive for 5 miles to the Mt. Elbert trailhead on the left.

Mt. Massive - 14er Hike

The namesake of many storefronts in Leadville & the peak that dominates the skyline of Leadville. Only 12 feet shorter than Elbert at 14,421, the hike up Massive is arguably a bit more exciting with equally stunning views. The most readily accessible trailhead is right next to that for Mt. Elbert & is roughly 14 miles in round trip length with 4,500ft. of gain. 

Directions to the Trailhead: Exactly the same as Elbert but with .3 more miles on the dirt road.

Mt. of the Holy Cross - 14er Hike

Barely a 14'er at 14,005ft., this beauty of a peak still packs a mighty amount of character. Known for its characteristic cross of snow in the springtime, shy personality (she's hard to view until you're actually on the trail), and striking, alp-like structure, a trip to Holy Cross is bound to make you feel at least a bit more like a mountaineer. The 12 mile round-trip hike nets 5,600ft. of gain (you have to climb back up over Halfmoon Pass after summiting), and the Class II boulder field just below the summit caps off the experience with a bit of manageable excitement. 

Directions to the Trailhead: From Leadville, take 24 north for 26 miles before turning left onto Tigiwon Rd. Drive 8 miles to the trailhead, which is almost certainly bound to be full.

The Mineral Belt Trail

Perfect for an easy walk, bike ride, or any other non-motorized option you can come up with! This 11.6 mile paved path provides a great overview of Leadville & its rich mining history, with 6 miles of the loop traversing the Historic Mining District. The path also offers great views of the surrounding ranges & Leadville itself. 

Parking is available along Highway 24 to the west of College Road on the south side of Leadville. You can also park in Leadville and catch the trail at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and E. 12th Street. If you want to drive up to the higher parts of the trail to walk past the historic mining areas, you can drive up E. 7th Street to Road 3 or up E. 5th Street to County Road

Ski Cooper

Just 10 miles down the road from Leadville, Ski Cooper is known for both being a more down-to-earth ski resort & for being the home of the 10th Mountain Division's training during WWII. An all-day lift ticket on Cooper's 39 runs is one of the best value in the state! With all natural snow and a family friendly atmosphere, you won't regret making this resort your next ski getaway.

Copper Mountain

Head off towards interstate 70 & you'll run directly into Copper Mountain, one of Colorado's numerous premier ski resorts along the I-70 corridor. Only a half hour drive away, Copper's 142 runs over 2400 beautiful acres are sure to give you a killer day on the slopes.

Fat Biking Trails

Leadville and Twin Lakes boast high-quality trails that are guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping! Here are a few options to choose from:

• Twin Lakes Loop
• Timberline Trail at Colorado Mountain College
• Leadville’s East Side Mining District Trail
• Tennessee Pass Nordic Center Trail
• Turquoise Trail Winter Loop

These trails vary in difficulty from beginner to expert levels, with their level of challenge changing according to the weather. Check out trail ratings and conditions in the Leadville and Twin Lakes area here: https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/2057/fat-biking-the-usa's-highest-city:-leadville-colorado

Rentals are a mere block away at our local bike store, Cycles of Life.

High Mountain Pies

The quintessential Leadville dining experience, High Mountain Pies offers some of the tastiest pizzas you can find this side of the Continental Divide. Full of wonderful personality, they offer indoor seating and a beautiful backyard patio with views of Elbert, Massive, and, if you're lucky, the neighborhood watchdogs who keep eye on the roof of the adjacent saloon. 

Directions: It is directly across the street from us.

House Pick: Crocodile

The Famous

This is Leadvile’s newest venue and boy what a treat it is.  Perfect place to catch a game, enjoy a wood fired pizza and relax.  The owners are some of the coolest people in town and the staff will treat you like family.  Cozy up to the bar by yourself or bring a big group of friends, there’s room for everyone at The Famous.  This historic building has been beautifully renovated and is now the marque spot in town.  In the summer there’s an outdoor TV in the back with a roller door garage facing the beautiful Sawatch Mountains, at night sit around the fire pit and tell stories about your adventures that day.

Directions: Up to Harrison, turn right and it’s two doors down. 

Dangerously close.

House Pick: White Mushroom pizza washed down with a “My Sister’s Margarita.

Tennesse Pass Cafe

Another spot that embodies the spirit of Leadville, this lovely cafe offers something for everyone & strives to use as many locally-sourced, organic products as possible. 

Directions from the House: Up to Harrison

Treeline Kitchen

Welcome to Leadville's fanciest restaurant.  Don’t worry you can wear jeans and a t-shirt. The interior is beautiful, the views from the rooftop dining location are spectacular, and the food is fantastic. It's hard to beat a rooftop drink or dinner at the Treeline to cap off your Leadville experience.

Directions from the house: Up to Harrison turn left.  It’s two blocks down on the left.

Quincy's Steakhouse

Quincy's doesn't mess around. They have only a few options on the menu, and they do them well & offer them at an affordable price. Where else can you find a quality steak dinner for $14.95? Add that it's served on the historic Quincy block - built in 1879 - and you're definitely in for a treat.

Directions from the house: Up to Harrison, turn left, it’s about 20 feet down on the right (other side of Harrison)

Melanzana

Leadville's "homegrown, outdoor clothing company" sells high-quality outdoor clothing that's made in-house on Harrison Ave. Their signature hoodies are sure to keep you warm when Leadville's temperatures drop to something less than balmy. Located down Harrison on the corner of 8th St (four blocks away) this is also the best spot to get a Pb-ville sticker for your car's back window.

Leadville Outdoors & Mountain Market

Located one block south on Harrison in the historic Anheuser-Busch Building, Leadville Outdoors offers a bit of everything for the modern outdoorsman and is a great spot to find supplies to keep you going on your through hike of the Rockies.

Tabor Opera House

An opera house? In Leadville? That's darn right! This incredible spot is one of the last living pieces of Horace Tabor's boom day's legacy. Built in just 100 days in 1879, the opera house has played host to such legends as Oscar Wilde & Harry Houdini, coming to be known as "the most perfect place for amusement between Chicago and San Francisco." The 650-seat Tabor is now managed by the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation and hosts shows throughout the year along with daily tours. 

Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad

A block up the East side of Harrison, you'll find the station for Leadville's very own railroad tour. A trip aboard this train will treat you to views of the Arkansas River Valley as you chug along towards the Continental Divide, and the history of Leadville will come to life as you hear tales of Cloud City's wild mining days.

National Mining Hall Of Fame & Museum

Located a few blocks up Harrison on West 9th St, the mining museum features all sorts of exhibits & collections pertaining to our nation's mining history, known even to be the "Smithsonian of the Rockies." Located in Leadville's former high school, the museum is open daily from 9am - 5pm.

Matchless Mine & Baby Doe's Cabin

Drive just a few minutes east of Leadville & you'll find the Matchless Mine, the very spot that brought Horace Tabor immense riches as it produced up to $2,000/day in silver during its prime. You'll also be treated to a tour of Baby Doe's cabin - the home where Horace's second wife Baby Doe stood guard over the mine waiting for boom days to come again, eventually to freeze to her death.