Weekend in the Highest City in America: Leadville, CO

Leadville, CO is an old mining town sitting at 10,154 feet with stunning views of the Sawatch Range. We spent a weekend here in late November 2024, and we were greeted with unexpectedly perfect weather: cold enough to see the snow, but warm enough to comfortably venture outside. Leadville easily became one of our favorite destinations in Colorado. There’s something undeniably thrilling about doing everything at 10,000 feet. The sheer hype of being at the highest elevation city in the U.S. had us hooked, and we couldn't wait to scope out some of the best high altitude activities. While the superlative title brought us here, we were pleasantly surprised with the charm and unhurriedness of this quaint mountain town. The views were incredible and we loved that even in such a small town, it was vibrant with family activities.

LODGING

Anyone who follows us knows that we generally go camping on most of our weekend excursions; however, since it was a winter and also around the time of our wedding anniversary, we decided to splurge a little on staying in one of S.Lumberyard's FREIGHT cabins. Going sort of last minute in the off season gave us a pretty good deal, so we didn't want to pass up staying at one of Leadville's architecturally unique options. The venue was originally part of an old train depot, and offers a few different layouts. These cabins may look slightly rustic on the outside, but are designed with modern luxury on the inside. Our cozy, chic suite had a bed, bathroom, desk, WIFI, heat, & kitchenette (sink, microwave, 2 burner stove, & mini fridge). We were easily able to fit a pack 'n play for Nolan into the small studio. Checking in and out was was a breeze, and all the information was provided via text/email. The cabins were conveniently located to everything we did in town, and we had a view of the mountains from our room - can't beat it!

RESTAURANTS + DRINKS

• Highest elevation coffee shop: Tucked into a cozy corner of the neighborhood, Zero Day Coffee  keeps things refreshingly simple. Its streamlined coffee menu and a small selection of pastries paired well with the modern yet vintage atmosphere. To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite in terms of flavor or vibe. There wasn't a whole lot of seating; the coffee was fine, just not especially memorable. However, there’s something fun about sipping a latte at sky-high elevation, even if the experience didn’t quite reach the same heights.

• Highest elevation brewery: Two Mile Brewing is a historic gas station-turned-brewery with a minimalist menu. They had a few rotating beers and a limited collection of appetizers. While the beer selection was small and not super notable, we enjoyed the atmosphere with its mountain views, rustic decor, and a dog-friendly patio.

• Restaurants:

  • Wild Bill’s - a Leadville class that has been open for nearly 40 years. A perfect stop for old-school burgers, fries, and milkshakes

  • The Famous - while technically considered a "sports bar", we thought the vibe was far from that. If anything, think more brick industrial with an Italian style menu. They offered a variety of salads, pizzas, and pastas for dinner as well as a huge list of crafted cocktails. We loved the food and ambiance!

  • Had we had more time, we would have checked out Treeline Kitchen or Tennessee Pass Cafe.

(View from the window of Wild Bill's, food & drink from The Famous)

ACTIVITIES

• Leadville Railroad: this was one of the most charming experiences we had in Colorado, and certainly our favorite in Leadville! The train runs year-round & boasts exceptional views of the San Isabel National Forest. We did the Holiday Express ride in late November, and it was a perfect way to enjoy the landscape in cold weather. They offer other themed rides for a variety of holidays too.

  
  

  The train cars were cozy, and included your own private booth for your group. You could bring your own food and drinks, or purchase from their selection of snacks and refreshments (alcohol can be purchased on board, you just cannot bring your own). The ride was 2 hours long, and was a great way to sit back and relax. It was a bit of a splurge, but it surely was fun for the whole family.

  
  

• Turquoise Lake - we were lucky to even get to visit this area since the road is typically closed most of the winter. Due to snow, we didn’t hike the long path around the lake, but still enjoyed what we could of the scenery. Campsites are available here in summer and the area was free to visit.

  
  

• Downtown shopping - we loved how walkable this town was. The strip was historic and fairly compact, boasting a plethora of local shops and restaurants. We were able to find street parking pretty easily. We didn't get a chance to visit the famous Melanzana, but have heard getting an appointment to shop at this high quality, handmade outdoor clothing store is such a cool experience. We loved visiting the town's visitor center and getting the scoop on how the town came to be and has evolved.

There’s definitely more we could’ve explored, but didn’t get the chance to due to time limit, season, and having a baby with us. Some other ideas include:

• Skiing, Ziplining, ATV tours, snowmobiling, snowshoeing

• Hiking: Tennessee Pass, Mayflower Gulch, 14er Mt. Elbert, Mineral Belt Trail

• Mining museum

• Fish hatchery

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Getting to visit Leadville truly was one of the highlights of living in Colorado for a short time. The mountain views here were absolutely unmatched. Even just driving from Pueblo to Leadville was a beautiful experience. We had a really relaxing & romantic (family) anniversary & holiday escape, and seeing it in the snow made it all the more magical.

Highlight Reel