Fall at 10,152 feet is short, bright and worth planning around. Days stay mild, nights get cold, the aspens turn gold from the second half of September into the first week of October, and the summer crowds are gone. Here is how to spend a fall weekend in Leadville and Twin Lakes, starting with the leaves and going well past them.
Fall Foliage: Where To Find The Color
Color starts high and works its way down. The high country turns first, in the first half of September, and the valley floor around Leadville and Twin Lakes usually peaks in mid to late September. Keep an eye on the forecast, because one hard wind can shorten the show.
Independence Pass And Twin Lakes
Highway 82 west out of Twin Lakes is the classic fall drive, climbing from the lakeshore to 12,095 feet with pullouts the whole way. Stop in the village or take a walk out to the Interlaken Trail for an easy lakeside hike, and give yourself time for sunset on the water. The Twin Lakes General Store and the Shooting Star Gallery are both worth a stop, though hours thin out as winter closes in, so call ahead late in the season. The pass itself closes for the winter, usually in early November.
The Mineral Belt Trail
The Mineral Belt Trail is an 11.6 mile paved loop right out of town, and in fall it strings together aspen stands, mining ruins and long views of Mount Elbert and Mount Massive. Bike the whole thing or walk a section from any of several trailheads.
The Top Of The Rockies Scenic Byway
Leadville sits in the middle of the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway, so almost every direction out of town is the scenic route. Head north over Tennessee Pass toward Camp Hale National Monument, or point south along the Arkansas headwaters with Mount Elbert and Mount Massive out the window the whole way.
Ride The Train
The Leadville Railroad runs daily trips through September, including Oktoberfest specials, then shifts to weekly rides in October. It is two and a half hours of high country scenery with commentary, warm drinks and no driving. Dress warmer than you think you need to.
Fall Beyond The Leaves
The aspens are the headline. These are the reasons to stay an extra day.
Zipline Above The Gold
Top of the Rockies Zipline runs year round. Six lines on Mount Arkansas above 11,000 feet, with fall color underneath you instead of summer green. There is also a rails and zip line combo that pairs the tour with a train ride, which is a full day for one booking.
Take An ATV Up California Gulch
California Gulch climbs east out of Leadville into the old mining district, past headframes, tailings and ghost town remnants, and through an aspen grove that lights up in late September. Leadville ATV Tours is open year round and puts you behind the wheel with a guide leading the way, so you do not need your own high clearance rig. Bring gloves and a warm layer: it is colder and dustier up there than it looks from town.
Boat Out To Interlaken
Twin Lakes Boat Tours runs a two hour narrated pontoon cruise across the lakes with a stop at Interlaken, the abandoned 19th century lakeside resort. Boats leave Red Rooster Beach daily at 10 a.m. through September 30, so this one is strictly an early fall play. Miss the window and you can still get there on foot or by bike on the Interlaken Trail.
Fish While Nobody Else Is
Fall might be the best fishing of the year here. Brown trout get aggressive ahead of the spawn, the water is low and clear, and the boat ramps and riverbanks are quiet. The Arkansas River’s Gold Medal stretch starts right near Leadville, at the confluence with the Lake Fork, and runs 102 miles downstream. Twin Lakes holds lake trout and rainbows if you would rather cast from shore than wade a river. Check the local fishing report before you go, or book a day with Colorado Fly Fishing Guides.
Book Your Winter Hut Trip Now
This is the fall chore that pays off in January. Leadville sits in the middle of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association system, with Uncle Bud’s Hut, the 10th Mountain Division Hut and Vance’s Cabin all within reach of town. Winter weekends are the most sought after nights of the year and they get claimed early, so check availability while the trails are still dry.
Catch A Film Or A Show At The Tabor
The Tabor Opera House keeps a full fall calendar in a building from 1879, which beats any multiplex. This season includes the Young Dubliners on September 19, a family film afternoon on September 27, the Main Street Auction on October 3, The Addams Family musical from October 22 to 24, and The Nightmare Before Christmas on November 1. Check the Tabor’s events and films calendar for showtimes and tickets.
Shop Harrison Avenue
Fall is the easy season on Harrison Avenue. No lines, no circling for parking, and the shops are stocked for cold weather: locally made gear, galleries, books, coffee and gifts along several blocks of Victorian storefronts. See where to shop for the full list, and pair it with lunch from our eat and drink guide.
Plan Your Fall Trip
Book a room on our where to stay page, then check the events calendar for what is happening the weekend you are here. Fall nights at this elevation drop below freezing well before Halloween, so pack layers, a warm hat and more water than you think you need.
Want more leaf peeping specifics? Our guide to the best fall color spots around Leadville and Twin Lakes has the pullouts, trails and timing.
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