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Winter

Snow, Glorious Snow

Take a Cool Trip

If you like snow and winter sports, you can’t do much better than Leadville and Twin Lakes, Colorado. Our long winters mean plenty of time to ski, skate, snowshoe, snowmobile, and more! For a relaxing holiday, and escape to our peaceful snow-covered pines and quiet town with old-fashioned Victorian charm.

For a preview, check out two recent features by Colorado Public Television, Ch. 12 and its Street Level series!

In the first video of this intriguing two-part series, host Juliana Broste will take you along to honor the famed heroes of the 10th Mountain Division. We will hop on a snowcat for an exciting tour on Chicago Ridge. Then we’ll hit the slopes at Ski Cooper, a charming destination for anyone up for an authentic, family friendly, and affordable day on the mountain.

In the second episode, we will explore the superb fat tire biking opportunities in North America’s highest city. We’ll snowshoe to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse and sample its mouthwatering menu. We’ll end with a restful night at the Tennessee Pass sleep yurts.

Groomed Winter Trails in Leadville

Snow comes early and stays late in North America's highest city! Conditions are great from late fall well into May. Whether you Nordic ski, snowshoe, fat bike, or snowmobile, you'll love the groomed winter trails in historic Leadville, Colorado. Hit the motherlode! Why Leadville's Trails Are Pure Gold Free! Access nearly 100 miles of trails totally free, with a nominal fee ...

Leadville Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival Weekend

Leadville, CO, United States

March 6-8, 2020 At the 2020 Leadville Ski Joring and Crystal Carnival Weekend, see the unique sport of ski joring and join mountain bike and Nordic ski races, a paintball biathlon, and umpteen other kinds of winter fun! What Is Ski Joring? Leadville Ski Joring is an action-packed sport where a horse and rider race down snow-packed Harrison Avenue in Leadville's ...

Downtown Leadville

809 Harrison Avenue, Leadville, CO | (719) 486-3900 | Website >

Stroll Leadville’s main street, and you’ll be surrounded by ornate architecture, colorful storefronts, and local businesses set in original Victorian buildings. Unlike other Colorado mining towns, Leadville still looks much as it did in years past, with local merchants lining the streets of historic Harrison Avenue and a down-to-earth, local vibe. National Historic Landmark District In fact, 70 square blocks of ...

East Side Mining District

Leadville’s East Side Mining District means above-treeline views of nearby mountains, miles of roads and trails, and the intrigue of mining ruins. Roam this area with wheels or on foot, and you’ll find old mining headframes peeking through the trees, timber ore houses on hillsides, and tall stacks of tailings, the crushed rock that once yielded precious metals. There's Gold (and ...

Interlaken Resort

Journey to a now-abandoned resort on the shores of Twin Lakes, called Interlaken, that you can only reach by trail or boat. At this National Historic Site maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, you can roam around the original buildings, set amidst pine trees and sage, including the two-story Interlaken Hotel built in 1879 and a state-of-the-art octagonal outhouse. You ...

Leadville Loppet

Now an American Birkebeiner qualifier, the Leadville Loppet Nordic ski race is held each February as a fundraiser for Leadville's beloved Mineral Belt Trail. ...

Leadville National Fish Hatchery

2846 Highway 300, Leadville, CO 80461 | (719) 486-0189 | Website >

Watch fish swish at the Leadville National Fish Hatchery, built in 1889 and the nation’s second-oldest federal hatchery. Tours, Trails, and Picnics For a close-up view of the fish production process, take a self-guided tour through this brownstone building, with tanks of fish inside and out. Tours are available by appointment to organized groups. Walk the hatchery’s scenic one-mile nature trail ...

Mt. Massive Golf Course

Rd 5, Leadville, CO 80461 | (719) 486-2176 | Website >

Mount Massive Golf Course is a nine-hole public course near Leadville, Colorado. Set in the open spaces of the Arkansas River Valley near the river's headwaters, ringed by the tallest mountains in the state, surrounded by ranchland and forest, it has a truly spectacular setting. This affordable and friendly course caters to over 20,000 rounds annually. It is conditioned and maintained ...

National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame

120 W 9th St, Leadville, CO 80461 | (719) 486-1229 | Website >

What would it be like to work in a mine, blasting rock in narrow passageways deep underground? You can imagine it at the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum. Tour replicas of caves and mines, check out the masks past miners wore to breathe and the carbide lamps that lit their way, and see photos of the people who’ve run ...

Ski Cooper

Ski Cooper, 232 County Road 29 Leadville, CO 80461 | (800) 707-6114 | Website >

Ski Cooper Opens Dec. 7 with New Terrain! Ski Cooper opens for the season on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. And this year, we'll have new terrain for your skiing and snowboarding fun! The new Tennessee Creek Basin adds a new lift and 14 new named trails. This double black diamond terrain will add steeper glade and tree skiing to Cooper, for ...

Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, Cookhouse & Sleep Yurts

Ski Cooper, Leadville, CO | (719) 486-1750 | Website >

The Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, Cookhouse & Sleep Yurts has become one of Colorado's premier winter and summer destinations, offering the finest in cross-country skiing and mountain biking, exquisite backcountry dining, and the coziest of overnight accommodations with ski-in/hike-in sleep yurts. Tennessee Pass Nordic Center Overlooking the stunning Sawatch Mountains, our spacious Nordic center is your gateway to all-day winter fun. ...

Timberline Trails Winter Singletrack

Co Rd 41, Leadville, CO 80461 Website >

Distance: 9.5 miles Elevation Gain: 330' Activities: Fat bike, Nordic ski, snowshoe Equipment: Rent equipment in downtown Leadville Cost: Free * Conditions: See the latest grooming report TRAIL MAP Why It's a Gem Located in the winter trails mecca of Leadville, Colorado, the Timberline Trails network is the perfect fat biking area. Gradual rolling terrain and reliable snow conditions, thanks to a ...

Winter Sports

Leadville, Colorado, is a winter sports mecca, set at 10,152’ where snows are plentiful. The roads into town stay plowed, so you can access trails and find freshies all winter. Whether you’re an expert skier, a first-time snowshoer, or anything in between, you’ll love winter sports in North America’s highest city. Biking: Fat bike on 100 miles of groomed winter trails ...

Year-End Holidays

Escape the holiday rush for a peaceful, old-fashioned getaway high in the Colorado Rockies. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or are looking for a relaxing New Year’s Eve, you can find plenty of holiday spirit in Leadville. Enjoy small-town charm while browsing downtown shops for locally made gifts. Join the merriment on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, for ...

Evansville Loop – Groomed Winter Trail – East Side Mining District

Trail Name: Evansville Loop Distance: 4 miles Elevation Gain: 10,800’ – 11,400’ Activities: Motorized and non-motorized: Nordic ski, fat bike, snowshoe, snowmobile, snow bike Equipment: Rent equipment in downtown Leadville Cost: Free * Conditions: See the latest grooming report for the East Side Mining District TRAIL MAP (interactive map / printable map) Why It’s a Gem A favorite for skate skiers who ...

Mt. Massive Golf Course Ski Trails – Groomed Winter Trails

259 County Road 5A, Leadville, CO 80461

Trail Name: Mt. Massive Golf Course Distance: 6k at the golf course and 6k at the Links to Lake loop that starts at the golf course parking. Elevation Gain: Minimal; golf course elevation is 9,860’ Activities: Non-motorized: Nordic ski, snowshoe Overall Difficulty Rating: Green Equipment: Rent equipment in downtown Leadville Lessons: Learn from Dan Batwinas, USSA Level 200 Cross Country Ski Coach. ...

Mineral Belt Trail – Groomed Winter Trail

Trail Name: Mineral Belt Trail Distance: Loop of 11.6 miles, with numerous access points Elevation Gain: 9,900' - 10,600' Activities: Non-motorized: Nordic ski, skate ski, snowshoe, fat bike, walk Difficulty Rating: Blue Equipment: Rent equipment in downtown Leadville Cost: Free * Conditions: See the latest grooming report. TRAIL MAP Why It’s a Gem This trail loops the city of Leadville, ...

Stumptown Loop – Groomed Winter Trail – East Side Mining District

Co Rd 3, Leadville, CO 80461

Trail Name: Stumptown Loop Distance: 3.5 miles Elevation Gain: 11,000’ – 11,400’ Activities: Motorized and non-motorized: Nordic ski, fat bike, snowshoe, snowmobile, snow bike Equipment: Rent equipment in downtown Leadville Cost: Free * Conditions: See the latest grooming report for the East Side Mining District TRAIL MAP (interactive map / printable map). Why It’s a Gem You’ll start near trees, wind ...

Tennessee Pass Nordic Center – Groomed Winter Trails

| (719) 486-1750 | Website >

Trail Name: Tennessee Pass Nordic Center Distance: 27 kilometers (nearly 17 miles) of set track and wide skate lanes Activities: Non-motorized: Nordic ski, skate ski, snowshoe, fat bike Difficulty Rating: Mostly green and blue, with some black Equipment: Select classic XC skis, skate skis, fat bikes, or snowshoes from the Nordic Center’s well-stocked rental program. Lessons: Private and group lessons! Please ...