Some holidays blur together. The ones you remember have snow squeaking under your boots, a train glowing in the dark, and a table so full somebody ends up eating on the hearth.
Leadville and Twin Lakes make that kind of holiday easy. Leadville sits at 10,152 feet, the highest incorporated city in North America, at the base of Mount Elbert, Colorado’s tallest peak. The snow is real. The town is real. Nobody is herding you from a lift line to a gift shop. Your days fill up with snowballs, skiing, skating and candlelit yurts, and your nights end around a fire with the people you came with.
This is winter like it used to be. Below is a three day family holiday itinerary, plus ideas for big groups: reunions, multi family trips, and the year all the cousins finally say yes. Follow it day by day, stretch it into a week, or borrow one idea for a long weekend.
Pick A Basecamp Big Enough For Everyone
Big groups need room to spread out, a kitchen that can handle a holiday dinner, and a place where the kids can be loud. Holiday weeks fill fast, so book your lodging first.
The Mountain Hideaway
One block off Harrison Avenue, The Mountain Hideaway is a former Victorian boarding house that sleeps up to 20 people in beds when you rent the whole house. All ten guest rooms have their own bathroom. Add a shared kitchen, a hot tub, a sauna, and a common room with pool and ping pong, and you have a home base for the great cousins tournament.
The Slumberyard At FREIGHT
The Slumberyard at FREIGHT is a cluster of thirteen cabins at FREIGHT, Leadville’s community gathering space. Each family gets its own cabin, and everyone meets in the middle. FREIGHT also hosts private events for 5 to 200 people, so your holiday party or reunion dinner can happen a short walk from bed.
SageStone Adventure Lodge in Twin Lakes
One of the newest lodging and event space additions is in Twin Lakes. The SageStone Adventure Lodge offers luxury, space and relaxation. The perfect setting for a gathering in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, where families and friends can reconnect, explore the outdoors, and create lasting memories together. Specializing in hosting retreats that cater to your love for the outdoors and your desire to explore with activities like hiking, trail running, mountain biking, fly fishing, rafting, and skiing.
Cabins Near Twin Lakes
For quiet nights and big views, head south toward Twin Lakes. Black Wolf Lodging rents vacation homes for family reunions, including a five bedroom, five bath log home on 22 acres. Buckeye’s Cabins are four historic ranch cabins about 30 yards apart, each with a full kitchen and a wood stove. Winmar Cabins offer rustic and cozy rooms and an event barn for gatherings. Mount Elbert Lodge has both cabins and B&B rooms, a hot tub, a fire pit, and snowshoe rentals in winter.
Vacation Homes And The Perfect Loft
So many great cabins provide that at home feel. Independence Realty manages vacation homes from Victorians to forested retreats. For a smaller family, The Timberline puts you right on Harrison Avenue in a second story apartment space with unbeatable mountain views. Large kitchen and living space partners with 3 bedrooms. See every option on our Where To Stay page.
Day 1: Arrive, Unpack And Chase The Lights
Make The Drive Part Of The Trip
Mountain roads in winter ask for patience. Read our winter driving tips before you go, pack snacks and a playlist, and plan to arrive in daylight.
Stroll Harrison Avenue
Drop the bags and walk downtown. Harrison Avenue is lined with Victorian storefronts, and a fresh coat of snow turns the whole street into a holiday card. Pick up gifts made in Colorado, a mineral for the rock hound in the family, and something warm to drink. Our holiday shopping guide has the full list.
Feed A Crowd
Big groups do best where nobody has to whisper. The Golden Burro Cafe has served Leadville since 1945 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Treeline Kitchen has a street level fire pit made for lingering. Rocky Mountain Thai offers a large dining room with separate group space. Two Mile Brewing pours locally named beers like Leadville Lager for the grown ups. And when you need ten pizzas back at the rental, High Mountain Pies is ready with all your favorites! Find more on our Eat & Drink page.
Ride The Holiday Express
This is the one the kids will still talk about in July. The Leadville Railroad Holiday Express leaves the 1896 depot for a two hour round trip into the snowy mountains. Heated lounge cars keep everyone cozy, seasonal treats and drinks are on board, and Santa, Mrs. Claus or one of the elves may stop by your seat. Rides start in mid November and run through the holiday season. Check the Holiday Express schedule and book early, especially for a big group.
Day 2: A Snow Day For Every Kind Of Kid
Big groups rarely agree on one activity. You don’t have to. Split up in the morning, trade stories at lunch, and regroup for dinner.
Gear Up Once
Bill’s Rentals has outfitted Leadville skiers since 1945. They rent skis, snowboards, snowshoes, helmets, coats, snow pants, goggles and sledding tubes, in sizes down to the youngest skiers. They are open in winter only, so call ahead at 719-486-1497.
For The Skiers And Snowboarders
Ski Cooper is skiing and riding the way it used to be. It is independently owned, runs on natural snow, and has some of the lowest lift ticket rates in Colorado. A long magic carpet and gentle terrain make it a great place for first timers, and the Timberline Taproom is where the grown ups meet up afterward.
If you ski on a quieter day before or after the big holiday week, the Gems Card from Colorado Ski Country USA gets you discounted adult lift tickets at Cooper and nine other smaller Colorado ski areas. Check the blackout dates before you buy, since the card does not work during the Christmas to New Year’s stretch.
For The Little Ones And The Nordic Crew
The Tennessee Pass Nordic Center grooms more than 27 kilometers of track and rents classic skis, skate skis, snowshoes and fat bikes. Parents with toddlers can rent a pull sled made for kids ages 1 to 4 and tow the little one along the trail. Once the snow builds up, head to the free tubing hill: grab a tube, walk up, ride down, repeat until someone needs a snack. The Nordic Center Cafe has a woodstove, soup and hot drinks for the break.
For The Thrill Seekers
White Mountain Snowmobile Tours runs a two hour tour built for families over groomed terrain between 11,000 and 12,000 feet. At Alpine Adventures Dogsledding, the kids get hands on with a team of retired racing dogs who now live at a rescue facility, and everyone leaves with new four legged friends. For a winter view nobody else at the office will have, try snow zipping at Top of the Rockies Zip Line, which launches from 11,200 feet.
Dinner By Headlamp
End the day with the meal your family will retell for years. At the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse, you ski, snowshoe or hike about a mile under the stars to a warm yurt for a multi course candlelight dinner. Think grilled elk tenderloin, Colorado rack of lamb and rainbow trout. Reservations are required, so book early for holiday dates and ask about your group size.
Day 3: Start A New Family Tradition
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
The Leadville Ranger District sells tree cutting permits from mid November through December. Bring a hand saw, dress for real winter, and expect forest roads that may not be plowed. Our Christmas tree permit guide covers where to cut and what to bring. Let the kids pick the tree. It will be a little lopsided. That is the point.
Go Underground At The Mining Museum
When the wind picks up, head inside the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. It is open year round. Kids walk through a replica mine with a life size miner and his burro, see rocks glow under black light, and watch a model train haul ore.
Walk Or Roll The Mineral Belt Trail
The Mineral Belt Trail is an 11.6 mile paved loop around Leadville with trailheads all over town. In winter, families snowshoe it, fat bike it, or simply walk a section while pulling a sled.
Skate Under The Peaks
The Huck Finn Ice Rink typically runs December through February, weather permitting. It has skate rentals, a warming hut, a fire pit, and walkers for brand new skaters. Check the listing or call Lake County Parks and Recreation for this season’s hours before you go.
Bring The Sauna To Your Door
Sunshine Saunas delivers a wood fired mobile sauna to your rental, with cut wood and set up included and no electrical hook up needed. Big groups take turns, and the brave ones roll in the snow between rounds.
Let Someone Else Cook The Feast
For the big holiday meal, hire Elevated Culinary. Local chef Joe Mahoney cooks in your rental, with large group family style meals and cooking classes. You keep the cozy night in. Somebody else does the dishes. The Silver Llama Eatery and Market offers pre-order holiday meals and always has great eat on or take out options.
Tips For Planning A Big Group Holiday
- Book the big three first: lodging, the Holiday Express, and the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse.
- Choose one gathering room: a home base with a big kitchen and a living room keeps everyone together at night.
- Split up, then regroup: plan mornings by interest and afternoons together.
- One meal out, one meal in: a sit down dinner downtown and a private chef or potluck at the rental.
- Throw the party: FREIGHT hosts private events for 5 to 200 guests.
- Build in a slow day: naps count as an activity at 10,152 feet.
Know Before You Go
The high altitude air is thin and dry. Drink more water than you think you need, take it easy the first day, and wear sunscreen, because winter sun at altitude is strong. Weather can change quickly, so check road conditions, pack layers, and keep a winter kit in the car. If anyone in your group plans to head into the backcountry, read Winter Adventures 101 from our local rangers first.
For more ideas for the youngest travelers, see Where To Bring Kids In Leadville And Twin Lakes This Winter.
The gifts get forgotten. The snow day, the train in the dark and the dinner in the yurt stay with your family for years. Start planning your holiday at the top of the Rockies on our Plan Your Trip page.
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