Sitting at an elevation of 10,200 feet above sea level, Leadville, Colorado is the highest city in the United States! The surrounding Rocky Mountains are stunning, and because it is nearly nearly 2-miles high, the views of the surrounding mountains will literally and figuratively take your breath away (the air feels thin at high elevation!). Read below for the perfect 2-day adventure itinerary in Leadville, Colorado featuring beautiful mountain hikes, a historic train tour, and a road trip along the top of the Rockies! If you love fun activities and outdoor adventures then these are some of the best things to do in Leadville! 

Leadville, Colorado Weekend Itinerary

DAY 1: Road Trip to the top of the Rockies & a unique mountain-top dining experience

Breakfast and Coffee at Zero Day

Start your morning with coffee and breakfast at Zero Day coffee, located in downtown Leadville. This quaint coffee shop is located in an adorable old Victorian house. They serve pastries and hearty breakfast burritos, which really hit the spot before a morning of adventures. Their cortado coffee was delicious! 

Road Trip to the Top of the Rockies + a short hike

After breakfast spend the morning and afternoon taking a road trip along the Top of the Rockies! From Leadville, drive south along highway 24 until you reach the turnoff to Twin Lakes (state highway 82). This portion of the drive from Twin Lakes, driving westward over Independence Pass, starts at 9,200 feet and climbs to 12,100 feet at the summit. You’ll drive by massive 13,000-foot mountain peaks including Mount Champion, Geissler Mountain, Twining Peak, Grizzly Peak and Casco Peak.

While this entire road trip features stunning views and turnouts, make sure to stop at Independence Pass along the Continental Divide. At Independence Pass, you can get out of the car and walk the quarter mile to the valley lookout. I also recommend taking a short hike along the Linkins Lake Trail, where a 1.3 mile (round trip) hike takes you to a beautiful alpine lake (just note you may encounter a lot of mosquitos in the summer…). This stunning road trip is seriously one of the best things to do in Leadville! Because of the abundant sight-seeing, this road trip to take easily take 4+ hours to make sure to bring snacks!

Dinner at Tennessee Pass Cookhouse 

Spend your evening dining at one of the most unique restaurants in Colorado – which requires a bit of work to get to! Tennessee Pass Cookhouse is a restaurant located in yurt in the middle of the forest. After parking at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, guests have to hike a mile through the forest to the Cookhouse.

The Cookhouse features a lovely deck overlooking the surrounding mountains, delicious cocktails, and incredible seasonal and locally-sourced food. The sunsets up there are stunning! After dinner, guests are given headlamps to hike the 1 mile back to their car. During our entire trip, this was our favorite thing to do in Leadville!

Note that guests are required to make a dinner reservation in advance and spots book up quickly, so make sure to plan for this bucket list Colorado adventure well ahead of time!

Where to stay in Leadville: the Delaware Hotel

The Delaware Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown Leadville. Originally constructed in 1886 during the Colorado gold rush, the Delaware Hotel is a charming and quirky hotel. Because it is a historic building, they do not have an elevator, so guests must trek up and down the steep stairs. Some of the rooms are allegedly haunted by gold-rush-era souls. Ask the hotel concierge for some information on the hauntings! We stayed in room 320, which is one of the haunted rooms! 

DAY 2: Hiking in the Rockies & a Historic Train Ride Through Leadville

Hiking in the Rockies

Start your morning with two beautiful hikes in the heart of the Rockies! I recommend starting at Timberline Lake Trail which is a 4.3 miles (round trip) hike to a beautiful alpine lake. This popular trail crosses a few streams (ankle deep), so plan to wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet! My favorite trail, though, was Windsor Lake Trail. This 2.1 mile (round trip) hike is steep, and leads to two stunning lakes.

Both of these trails are high in elevation, so take your time since the air will feel thin if you’re not used to exercising at high elevation. We did both of these hikes in a single morning, but you may want to consider doing just one of the two. These two hikes were some of the best things to do in Leadville, if you can handle the high elevation! 

Lunch at Buchi Cafe Cubano

After working up an appetite, enjoy lunch at Buchi Cafe Cubano in downtown Leadville, which specializes in Cuban-flavored sandwiches. We ordered their La Machina Verde panini sandwich, sweet plantains, and cortadito which were all DELICIOUS! It was so delicious that we dined there twice during our trip to Leadville.

Scenic Train Ride on The Leadville Express

If you’re seeking a more relaxed way to take in the Rocky Mountain scenery, take a scenic train ride on the Leadville Express. This train begins in downtown Leadville, features both closed cars and open-air seating, and is narrated by the conductor who tells stories of Leadville’s history. After leaving Leadville, the train climbs along the side of the mountains which offers amazing views of the Arkansas River below and Colorado’s largest mountains. Be sure to check the train schedule, which changes throughout the year. During summer, the train operates at 10 AM and 2 PM. 

Explore Downtown Leadville

After a day of adventuring, take a stroll through downtown Leadville. Leadville is a touristy town, without the kitschy-ness. Leadville takes pride in their gold-rush era saloons and outdoor gear shops. We loved stopping in the Melanzana store to take a look at their famous hiking shirts. Typically you need an appointment to buy their gear, but there are also a few “first come first served” racks you can check out. We didn’t luck out but we still had fun! 

Dinner at Mineral 1886

Round out your weekend with dinner at Mineral 1886. Conveniently located on the bottom floor of the Delaware Hotel, Mineral 1886 has an impressive menu that accommodates most dietary restrictions. We loved their broccolini and mushroom ravioli! I’ll note that, although their cocktails are beautiful, they were very sweet and not to our taste. If you drink I recommend ordering from the wine list, or visiting one of the many iconic saloons in town after dinner for a nightcap!

Final Thoughts on Leadville, Colorado

Leadville is a must-see gem in the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains! The surrounding mountain peaks offer some of the best scenery and hikes in the region, and this adventure-packed itinerary truly showcases some of the best things to do in Leadville, Colorado!

Note that, because Leadville is located at 10,000+ feet of elevation, the air can feel thin in Leadville. It is not uncommon for visitors, arriving from lower elevations, to feel signs of altitude sickness. Listen to your body, take rests when you need to, and know the various signs of altitude sickness. Because we didn’t have time to acclimate beforehand, we relied on Advil and Tylenol and plenty of hydration to stave off persistent altitude-related headaches.

Additionally, because of the high elevation and thin air, the sun is very intense in Leadville, and can lead to sunburns more quickly than at lower elevations. We recommend being diligent about applying sunscreen every 1.5 – 2 hours!

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