Make the most of your time in North America’s highest-elevation city by staying hydrated. The altitude is no joke. Start drinking plenty of water before you arrive and keep it up throughout your stay. Do not forget sunscreen and sunglasses, yes even in the winter! Those high-altitude rays are strong year-round and feel especially glorious on bright winter days.

Planning to explore the backcountry? Go prepared. Conditions can change quickly in the high alpine, so check weather and avalanche forecasts before heading out. Our Backcountry Winter Safety Guide will help you know before you go and adventure responsibly.

DAY ONE

MORNING: Acclimate on the Move

Welcome to Leadville, North America’s highest incorporated city and your basecamp for big adventure. At 10,152 feet, today is about smart acclimatization without slowing your momentum.

Start in historic downtown along  historic Harrison Avenue. Move with intention on the self-guided Downtown Walking Tour, stretching your legs while taking in preserved Victorian architecture framed by Colorado’s highest peaks. Before heading out of town, dial in your kit. Forgot gloves? Need demo skis or a fat bike? Leadville’s local outfitters can get you equipped fast so you can focus on performance, not packing lists.

This is acclimatization, Leadville style: active, intentional, and mountain-focused.

MIDDAY: Pizza Power

Refuel at High Mountain Pies, a local favorite known for hearty, high-altitude fuel. Known for creative pizzas and hearty calzones, the menu also features ribs, fresh salads, and stacked sandwiches made with quality ingredients. Expect bold flavor combinations such as braised pork, green chilies, Manchego cheese, roasted red grapes, and fresh avocado. Carbs are your friend at elevation.

After lunch, head west toward Tennessee Pass Nordic Center. Click into cross-country skis, hop on a fat bike, or strap on snowshoes and explore miles of groomed forest trails with sweeping views of the Sawatch Range. New to Nordic? A quick lesson sharpens technique and efficiency. Craving more adrenaline? Rent a fat bike and power through packed singletrack for a lung-burning ride at elevation. With varied terrain from mellow cruisers to sustained climbs, you can scale the effort to match your acclimatization while still logging real miles. Rentals for Nordic skis, snowshoes, and fat bikes are available onsite, making it easy to test new gear or travel light.

EVENING AND OVERNIGHT: Forest Basecamp

As daylight softens, trade trail miles for an off-grid yurt and candlelight at Tennessee Pass Cookhouse and Sleep Yurts. Check in first, staff will transport your luggage, then step into your own adventure, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing one mile through quiet evergreen forest to your handcrafted backcountry home for the night. Think glamping meets cabin – log beds, down comforters, and wood stoves create a warm alpine refuge after a full day of movement.

Step out into the evening heading to the nearby Cookhouse for a gourmet, candlelit dinner featuring thoughtfully prepared local fare such as Colorado rack of lamb and grilled elk tenderloin. Your approach sets the tone: packed snow underfoot, crisp mountain air in your lungs, and the warm glow of the cookhouse waiting ahead. When dinner winds down, there’s no drive back to town. Instead, retreat to your off-grid sleep yurt tucked deep in the forest.

Before turning in, take one last look up. At 10,000+ feet, the stars don’t just shine, they take over the sky.

Leadville doesn’t ask you to slow down. It invites you to stay out a little longer.

DAY TWO

Yesterday you found your rhythm. Today you build speed.

MORNING: First Tracks & Fresh Turns

Feel free to sleep in because your first location of the day is just across the parking lot! Local mountain Ski Cooper is where you will start you day with breakfast and a full morning of alpine skiing or snowboarding on the mountain. Fuel up at the lodge, pick up your equipment at the rental shop then click into skis or strap on your snowboard. Cooper delivers wide-open groomers, playful terrain, and no waiting in line stress. Warm up on cruisers before pushing into more advanced terrain. This is skiing the way it use to be – just you, the snow, and big Colorado sky.

MIDDAY: Strong Fuel & Deeper Roots

Back in town, recharge at Buchi Café Cubano. Pressed Cuban sandwiches and bold Cuban coffee hit the spot after a morning on the mountain.

Then dive into Leadville’s rugged roots at the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. Known as the “Smithsonian of the Rockies,” this expansive museum brings America’s mining history to life through recreated mine shafts, crystal collections, model railroads, and immersive exhibits. It’s a different kind of exploration hands-on, unexpected, and grounded in the same grit that defines this high-altitude town.

EVENING: Refuel & Glide

After a full alpine afternoon, relax and fill your belly at Treeline Kitchen. The menu blends comfort and creativity – think beef burgundy, vegetable curry, fresh salads, seafood starters, and warm fruit crisp – exactly what your body wants after hours outside.

OVERNIGHT: Modern Mountain Reset

Recharge at S.L.umber Yard. These high-craft cabins blend recycled metal exteriors with warm modern interiors. Downtown is steps away, but it feels like your own private basecamp.

Hydrate. Stretch. Tomorrow goes bigger.

Rest up, tomorrow, the elevation feels lower, your lungs feel stronger, and tomorrow you’ll go higher, above the trees!

Still have energy to burn? Head to the open-air Huck Finn Ice Rink. At 30,000 square feet, it’s one of Colorado’s largest outdoor rinks. Skate under the stars, spin laps, or practice hockey stops beneath crisp mountain air. Open December through March (weather permitting), check hours before you go, it’s the perfect way to keep moving before calling it a night.