2019-12-10 02:23:20
Leadville is the country’s highest incorporated city — one of the reasons it and its neighboring town, Twin Lakes, are favorites with those wanting to get close to the sky. Spend the morning touring well-preserved Leadville. Seventy square city blocks of Victorian buildings and shops are part of a National Historic Landmark District, along with 20 square miles of preserved silver-mining district. More than 50 buildings date to the 1870s, including the Tabor Opera House (2) (with an ambitious roster of acts each year), and walking tours with cemetery and stagecoach themes and picnics. Downtown is walkable and full of places to eat and hang, including Treeline Kitchen (3) — especially loved for its rooftop seating. Periodic Brewing is one of the best for post-adventure local brews and tasty snacks. Pop into Cookies With Altitude for somethin’ sweet, including flavors like Key lime pie, molasses and pumpkin. In the afternoon, catch a ride on the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad and don’t miss the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, a fascinating look at the powerful industry and all the metals that helped build the state. For more mining history, take the Hopemore Underground Mine Tour led by a former miner. You’ll journey 600 feet from the surface into an authentic, hardrock mine. Leadville sits along the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway, and the town’s paved Mineral Belt Trail (1) offers yearround recreation for bikers, hikers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers. More than 100 miles of the Arkansas River, starting at the Lake Fork near Leadville, are designated Gold Medal fishing waters. Local outfitters can get you all the gear and instruction you need and point you in the right direction. Or, just 20 miles from town is historic Twin Lakes, where you’ll find world-class fishing and boating, several B&Bs and cabins for a relaxing stay and some of Colorado’s most spectacular lake and peak scenery. Twin Lakes is close to the trailhead of Mount Elbert (Colorado’s tallest peak). Twin Lakes is the eastern gateway to Independence Pass (Aspen is on the other side), one of the state’s highest paved roads. It’s hard to overstate how spectacular fall colors can be along the pass if you’re able to time your trip just right. WINTER FUN Ski Cooper, former training site of the 10th Mountain Division, is now a family- friendly ski area with a warming hut at the top of the mountain that serves lunch and snacks to skiers. Cross-country skiing abounds throughout the area (the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center Cookhouse is a most delicious destination), and visitors in March will be delighted by the town’s ski-joring festival, where horses tow skiers down Harrison Avenue. Leadville’s East Side Mining District is groomed all winter for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking and snowmobiling. Part of an extensive network of nearly 100 miles of groomed trails, the Mining District offers unparalleled views of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges, the state’s highest fourteeners (mounts Elbert and Massive), the chance to see mining structures up close and solitude on trails kept in excellent condition. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Leadville (page 201), Twin Lakes QUICK TIP Leadville is less than an hour from Breckenridge, Vail and Copper Mountain, and only 9 miles to Ski Cooper, offering a unique and low-cost option for a ski vacation.
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