DISCOVER 10 WAYS TO HAVE FUN AT THE TOP OF THE ROCKIES!
1) Alpine Ski or Ride at Cooper
Enjoy the wide-open spaces at this family friendly ski area! Skip the lift lines and pretense at Ski Cooper. Enjoy terrain for all abilities!
Take a lesson to learn to ski/snowboard or improve your skills, rentals available on location at Cooper or in Leadville at Bill’s Rentals & Alpine Ski & Sport.
Listen to live music and grab a bite to eat at one of their top-notch food establishments. Check their website for music schedule.
2) Snow Zipping and Snow Zooming!
Zip and zoom on a snowmobile and/or zipline!
Fly above snow-covered trees at 12,800’ on the Top of the Rockies Zip Line! They offer zip line/snowmobile combo tours too!
Or explore Leadville’s historic mining district, Turquoise Lake or “ride the divide” on a snowmobile or UTV!
Tours available with:
3) Dogsled
Go dogsledding! Let happy huskies pull you past phenomenal views of forests, lakes, and Colorado’s highest peaks with Alpine Adventures Dogsledding
4) Visit a Hut or Yurt
There are many ways to get off the grid in the winter! You can ski, snowshoe or event fat bike to a back country location!
Nordic ski, fat bike or snowshoe one forested mile to a delicious gourmet meal at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, Cookhouse and Sleep Yurts.
For those looking more for the back country experience, check out the hut and yurt options in the area. 10th Mountain has 34 backcountry huts in the Colorado Rockies that are connected by 350 miles of suggested routes. They provide a unique opportunity for backcountry skiing and snowshoeing while staying in secure, comfortable shelter. Many people gather groups of friends and family to share the experience together. *Reservations are needed*
5) Nordic (Cross Country) Ski
Lake County has nearly 100 miles of trails near Leadville are groomed regularly from late fall to early spring for winter travel. Glide through smooth tracks or tromp atop the snow. For overnight adventure, plan a hut trip or camp in a yurt. Check out our five trail systems!
Rentals available at Alpine Ski & Sport, Cycles of Life, Tennessee Pass Nordic Center and Leadville Outdoors
6) Snowshoe
Take a snowshoe trek above treeline, to a lakeside ghost resort, or through Leadville’s historic mining district with stunning views.
Great options include –
- Interlaken Trail in Twin Lakes
- Halfmoon Road
- Leadville Fish Hatchery Trail Systems
- Colorado Trail / Continental Divide Trail
- 10th Mountain Division Hut Trails
Rentals available at: Alpine Ski & Sport, Bill’s Rentals, Leadville Outdoors and Tennessee Pass Nordic Center
7) Fat Bike
With groomed trails for a variety of ability levels and plenty of sunny days, Leadville winters are made for fat biking fun.Choose the Mineral Belt Trail or the East Side Mining District or for above-treeline views of the surrounding mountain ranges. These groomers wind past mining structures and snowy hillsides, all under a deep blue winter sky.
For forested scenery, loop ice-covered Turquoise Lake Roador curve through the pines at Timberline Trails, both groomed regularly. Or explore a 15-mile groomed network at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, featuring rolling, wooded trails or winter-white meadows.
8) Take the Train!
Stay warm and cozy inside comfy heated lounge cars as you travel through a winter wonderland. The Leadville Railroad runs through the winter with specialty trips including: Holiday Express, Winter Express, Valentine’s Sweetheart Train, St. Patrick’s Day Train and the Easter Express!
9) Ice Skate or Go Tubing!
Twirl under the sun or stars at Leadville’s open-air skating rink. At 30,000 square feet, the Huck Finn Ice Rinkin Leadville is one of the largest man-made rinks in Colorado! The facility features skate rentals, a snack bar, a warming hut, and a great sound system.
The ice rink is open from December to March, weather permitting. Skate and hockey rentals are available. Learning to skate? They’ve got walkers to help you out!
The Dutch Henry sledding hill in Leadville, Colorado, is open from December to March, weather permitting.
The hill is open from dawn to dusk daily, conditions permitting, and sledding is free. Tube rentals are available at the hill on weekend or at Bill’s Rentals 7 days a week!
10) Stay Indoors
Visit one of our many museums or walk historic Harrison Avenue with a self guided walking tour.
Did you know that Leadville, Colorado, is home to a national museum? The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum is perched in North America’s highest-elevation town. Visitors often say they are surprised by the depth of this unsung museum, which tells the past, present, and future of the nation’s mining.
Built in 1884, the Temple Israel is the oldest of the area’s frontier synagogues. After a fire in 2006, the building was historically restored to near original condition. It now serves as a museum and research institution that documents the lives of Jewish pioneers during Leadville’s mining boom era. Free to visit!
Schedule a tour in advance for the Tabor Opera House or the Healy House & Dexter Cabin!
Stroll historic Harrison Avenue, for uncrowded holiday shopping and one-of-a-kind gifts. Art, antiques, apparel, made-in-Colorado gifts, minerals, books, and much more await. Pick up a wreath or holiday floral arrangement. Find the best outdoor gear, carefully chosen by people who use the same kind themselves in Leadville’s mountains. Stop in a coffee shop for a warm drink and a pastry or grab a hot toddy at a saloon. Savor lunch and dinner at one of Leadville’s tasty restaurants.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Take your pick of great places to stay. Escape to a cabin in the woods, a Victorian home in town, a cozy B&B, or comfy hotel, motel, or hostel!
Experience Winter on Another Level in Leadville & Twin Lakes!
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