Cruising Elevation: Leadville & Twin Lakes / COME TO LIFE CRUISING ELEVATION: LEADVILLE & TWIN LAKES 1 COLORADO WINTER FUN T Ski Cooper, former training site of the 10th Mountain Division, is now a family-friendly ski area. Cross-country skiing abounds throughout the area (and the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center’s 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 is the country’s highest incorporated city — one of the reasons it’s home to the ultra-extreme Leadville 100 foot and mountain-bike races. 2 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MINERAL BELT TRAIL, CITY OF LEADVILLE; CITY OF LEADVILLE; TENNESSEE PASS COOKHOUSE, JAMES BRANAMAN; LEADVILLE, COLORADO & SOUTHERN RAILROAD, LAURENCE PARENT. 3 Well-preserved, Leadville has 70 square city blocks of Victorian buildings and shops, all part of a National Historic Landmark District (2) , along with 20 square miles of a preserved silver-mining district. More than 50 buildings date to the 1870s, including the Tabor Opera House , and walking tours include cemetery and stagecoach themes, picnics and ghost walks. Catch a ride on the Leadville , Colorado & Southern Railroad (3) 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. Then, swing around to Huck Finn Skate-park , a hub of activity in town. Leadville sits along the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway . The town’s paved Mineral Belt Trail (1) offers year-round recreation for bikers, hikers, snow-shoers and cross-country skiers. And 102 miles of the Arkansas River , starting at the Lake Fork near Leadville, are designated Gold Medal fishing waters. Just 20 miles from town at the base of Independence Pass is historic Twin Lakes , where you’ll find world-class fishing 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). STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Leadville (page 208), Twin Lakes (page 214) QUICK TIP Visit in August for Leadville Boom Days to catch some real Wild West spectacle, including burro races (so much more hilarious than you imagine), Old West reenactments, kids hand-mucking contests and other shenanigans. COLORADO.COM / 185
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2017: Page 185
