8 Best Things to Do in Leadville: How We Spent Our Three Days

It’s time to explore the highest incorporated city in the United States! After spending three days in Leadville, we came away entirely impressed by all the things to do in the area.

If you’re an outdoors enthusiast, you will be in heaven once you arrive in Leadville, Colorado. From beautiful mountain views to the historic mining town and nearby hiking, this part of the state is one heck of a place to visit.

Inside, we dive into the best things to do in Leadville and how to plan a three-day itinerary high in the Colorado Rockies.

8 Best Things to Do in Leadville

1. Take the Leadville Train Through the Mountains

If you’re looking for a fun way to see the area, the Leadville Railroad is a great way to do that!

The two-and-a-half-hour round trip climbs to around 11,000 feet through the San Isabel National Forest, passing views of Mt. Elbert, Mt. Massive, and the Arkansas River Valley. Both open-air and enclosed cars are available, and the scenery changes with the season, from aspen color in fall to wildflowers in summer.

Coach tickets are $66 for adults and $45 for kids. The lounge car (heated) costs $98 for those 4 and older. Dogs are allowed with a separate ticket, but only 15 dogs per ride.

2. Hike a 14er

If you’re looking to hike a 14er, Leadville puts you in an incredible position to tackle a large chunk of them. Mount Sherman is the closest and the easiest, with Mount Elbert giving you the ability to summit the tallest peak in Colorado. I’d say this is definitely one of the best things to do in Leadville.

Ranked easiest to hardest:

Rank	Peak	Elevation	Trailhead	Drive from Leadville	RT Distance	Gain	Class
1	Mount Elbert	14,438′	Mt. Elbert North	~20 min, 9 mi	9.75 mi	4,500′	1
2	Mount Sherman	14,040′	Fourmile Creek (Iowa Amphitheater)	7 miles from Leadville on a 2WD dirt road	4.5 mi	2,100′	1
3	Huron Peak	14,004′	S. Winfield/Lake Ann	~55–60 min, 33 mi	7 mi (4WD lot)	3,500′	2
4	Mount Princeton	14,200′	Mt. Princeton Rd	~55 min, 43 mi	6.5 mi (from 4WD lot at 11,000′)	3,200′	2
5	Mount Belford	14,200′	Missouri Gulch	~40–45 min, 28 mi	8 mi	4,500′	2
6	Mount Columbia	14,073′	N. Cottonwood Creek	~55–60 min, 42 mi	12 mi	4,250′	2
7	Mount Yale	14,197′	Denny Creek	~55–60 min, 46 mi	9.5 mi	4,300′	2
8	La Plata Peak	14,343′	La Plata Peak TH (CO-82)	~25–30 min, 18 mi	9.25 mi	4,400′	2
9	Missouri Mountain	14,069′	Missouri Gulch	~40–45 min, 28 mi	10.5 mi	4,500′	2
10	Mount Massive	14,424′	Mt. Massive TH	~20–25 min, 9 mi	13.75 mi	4,500′	2
11	Mount Antero	14,269′	Baldwin Gulch	~65–70 min, 55 mi	15.5 mi	5,200′	2
12	Mount Harvard	14,422′	N. Cottonwood Creek	~55–60 min, 42 mi	13.75 mi	4,600′	2
13	Mount Oxford	14,156′	Missouri Gulch (via Belford)	~40–45 min, 28 mi	11 mi	5,900′	2

As you can see, all of these are class two climbs, making them much more doable for hikers looking for a great day of hiking with less risk. That said, don’t push yourself further than you feel comfortable doing. Always check weather forecasts and local conditions before heading out.

3. Drive up to Independence Pass

Looking for a fun day in the mountains? Driving Independence Pass is 100% one of the best things to do in Leadville and Colorado. It takes about an hour. You first pass Twin Lakes before getting deeper into the mountains. After about 40 minutes, you’ll begin the ascent to the pass.

If you don’t like steep drop-offs and winding switchbacks, this might not be for you, though. Please drive carefully and slowly as you ascend/descend. I recommend using engine braking on the way down.

4. Explore Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes is a gorgeous area to hike, boat, fish, paddle, or relax! The lake-plus-mountain combo is freaking incredible! My September trip was the first time driving through it in daylight, and I was blown away!

First off, Twin Lakes are a two-lake combo at the base of towering peaks. You can camp, boat, paddle, kayak, and swim here.

There’s also plenty of great hiking.

The Interlaken Trail is an easy, roller coaster-like hike along the shores of Twin Lakes. A few more challenging trails are at the back of the lake (further west), such as Willis Gulch, Hope Pass, and Willis Lake. These are about 9-11 miles round trip.

You can also explore via the South Elbert Trailhead. Many hikes use this to summit Mount Elbert, but it also has a couple of nice, less challenging trails. Lily Pond Lake and Bartlett Gulch follow the same trail but end at different points. Lilly Pond has the most elevation gain, around 1,100 feet, while the gulch trail tops off below 1,000 feet.

Jaimie and I did about 2.5 miles on this trail. You finally reach an aspen grove around the mile mark, and it was nice to see some yellow leaves for the first time this year!

5. Walk around Historic Downtown Leadville

The historic downtown isn’t too big. You can do a big U and pop into most of the shops in an hour. The Antique store had the most random selection of items you can imagine, but it was cool to see old pieces of camera gear, along with other things.

6. Visit the Silver Dollar Saloon

We grabbed a drink here and checked out the historic saloon, open since the 1879s! I know, it’s old. In fact, it’s the oldest bar in Colorado! It had cool vibes, and we probably would have stayed longer, but an entire wedding welcome party showed up.

7. Visit the National Mining Museum

The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum sits in downtown Leadville and traces the town’s mining history from hand tools to hydraulic drills and heavy machinery. Exhibits include a walk-through mine replica, a model train layout, and a Minerals A-Z gallery covering specimens from across the state.

The museum runs Tuesday through Sunday, 10 to 4, with last entry at 3:15.

8. Hike one of the many trails nearby

If you want to stick closer to town, there’s still plenty of hiking to be had! Here’s a quick list of trails to check out—all of these link to AllTrails info.

• Walk along Turquoise Lake
• Mineral Belt Trail
• Timberline Lake Trail
• Saint Kevin Lake
• Bear Lake Trail
• Lyle Lake and Mormon Lake Trail

If you want to drive a little further (but not towards Independence Pass), these are some good hikes within an hour:

• Missouri Lakes and Fancy Pass Loop
• Shrine Ridge
• Mayflower Gulch
• Gore Lake Trail
• Willow Creek Trail
• Willow Lakes Trail

How to Plan a Weekend Itinerary in Leadville

Day 1: Drive up from Denver

It was a super easy drive up from Denver, and once we got through the tunnel, fall was upon us. Silverthorne had started to turn early in 2026, and we were greeted with lots of yellow as we came down into the valley below.

For the rest of the drive to Leadville, we enjoyed the stunning fall colors.

After arriving in Leadville, we checked into the Delaware Hotel, quickly changed, and made it for our 6:30 reservation at Mineral 1886. It’s housed inside the historic hotel and has a no-frills look.

But the food was DELICIOUS! WE got Brussels sprouts and spinach artichoke appetizers – both so yummy. I got the NY Strip Steak, and Jaimie got the Scottish Salmon. Both were phenomenal and highly recommended.

From there, we explored the town. Our first stop was the Silver Dollar Saloon, Colorado’s oldest bar. From there, we quickly stopped in at the Scarlet Tavern, but the vibe wasn’t what we were looking for, and we headed out after a drink.

Day 2: Explore Independence Pass

The two of us slept in a bit, but because the day’s weather looked favorable, we didn’t feel rushed. We grabbed breakfast burritos and coffee at Before&After and began the 55-minute drive to Independence Pass.

Jaimie had never been this way before, so watching (hearing?) her excitement at the views was fun.

Even though we were looking for a final summer weekend, fall was upon us once we reached Twin Lakes. While not at peak, there were plenty of fall colors on the slopes as we passed the lakes and headed deeper into the Sawatch Range.

If you’ve been, you know how stunning this area is. The views kept getting better and better, and then we began the nearly 2,000-foot climb to Independence Pass. It’s one of the state’s highest paved roads, at 12,100 feet.

We got to the pass and took a short walk to the overlook area. Then, we headed down the west side to the next trailhead and the Lost Man Lake trail.

Hiking Lost Man Lake

I’ve had this trail saved on AllTrails for a while now. But since it’s so far from Denver, it takes a bit of effort to reach. So, since we were in the area, I figured we’d tackle it.

Overall, it’s a pretty moderate hike, but it offers beautiful views. What is not to love about that combo!? The hike has two main lakes, Independence Lake and then Lost Man Lake. We only viewed the latter from the top of the ridge, instead of going to the shoreline.

Instead, we headed up a faint trail to the east and somewhat stumbled into summiting an unnamed 13er. From the top, you get fantastic views of the lakes below and the nearby peaks and ridgelines.

Later that day, after getting back to Leadville, we stopped at Ale Yak Beer Garden. It wasn’t what we expected at all. It’s three food trucks in a dirt lot with a seating area. Then, we popped in for pizza at High Mountain Pies before wrapping up the evening at Before & After for a cocktail.

It was an incredible day of mountain adventures.

Day 3: Downtown Leadville and Twin Lakes

The final day of our three-day Leadville itinerary started slowly. We had breakfast at the hotel, then spent an hour walking around historic downtown. Then, we headed back to Twin Lakes to do the Interlaken Trail.

This easy trail runs along the south side of the lake, with really pretty views of Mount Elbert across the water. We decided to turn around at the 1.6-mile park (near a sandy beach). From here, we drove to the South Elbert Trailhead for another walk, this time amongst golden aspen.

Jaimie and I planned a quick walk, but it turned into over 2.5 miles. That was okay, because we reached a lovely aspen grove and enjoyed the pretty colors up there.

I highly recommend adding Twin Lakes to your itinerary. It’s easily one of the best things to do in Leadville.

Where to Stay in Leadville

Leadville is pretty authentic, with no major hotel brands nearby. This is nice, but also keeps your options pretty limited. We stayed at the Delaware Hotel downtown, which was great because we didn’t have to drive anywhere. This let my wife and me hit different cocktail spots without worrying about driving afterward.

The Delaware Hotel is very historic. The rooms and showers are small; the beds were pretty hard, and overall it’s not a luxury spot one bit. But that’s the allure of it! It’s quaint and in a fantastic location.

Is Leadville Worth Visiting?

Oh my gosh, yes it is! Previously, I had only driven through Leadville on my way to and from Aspen. So, this trip finally allowed us a chance to see what the town was like. So, I’m not really a town person, but it does have a lot of character.

But the main reason to stay in Leadville is all of the adventuring it offers. You are relatively close to a plethora of 14ers, awesome hikes, lots of fishing and boating, and much more within the Sawatch and Mosquito mountain ranges.

If you’re looking for a home base that keeps your drive times down and stoke up, Leadville is the place to be!

Life at 10,000 Feet

This is the highest incorporated town in America! Because of this, there are a few things to know before visiting.

First, stay hydrated. Drink at least 1L more than you would at home. You’ll feel better for it. Second, move slowly. Even going up the stairs at the hotel had us out of breath – and we live in Denver! Thirdly, you might notice that you sleep worse. That happens at altitude. There’s not much to do other than acclimate.

Lastly, if you visit in the spring or fall, you can easily encounter a snowstorm. Make sure you are properly dressed, have tire chains, and extra goodies in your car (blanket, water, snacks) in case of road issues.

More Photos From My Leadville Itinerary

Enjoy these, and hopefully they inspire some adventures!

FAQ about Visiting Leadville, Colorado

Let’s hit some frequently asked questions surrounding your itinerary and the best things to do in Leadville.

Final Thoughts on things to do in Leadville and our 3-day itinerary

After spending a weekend in Leadville, I left incredibly impressed by the historic mining town and the surrounding landscape. Few places offer such spectacular views in every direction!

A few things to key in on: Definitely visit Twin Lakes and Independence Pass; they will blow you away. If you can get a 14er in, do it! And lastly, enjoy walking around downtown. It’s cute, and we came away with so many good memories.

Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.

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