Need a quick weekend getaway? Leadville is such a history rich town with so many fun trails, iconic events, and FREE camping everywhere! 

Here are some must hit restaurants, trails, and camp spots. Though, we are always adding new finds to the list!

Leadville, CO, USA

Leadville, CO

One of Leadville's nicer / more upscale restaurants. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Really cool ambience with some unique dishes. 

A MUST after summiting Mt. Elbert or if you have an epic day out on the trails. There is very limited seating, so call ahead to place an order if you are with a large group, or if it's the weekend. Some seating in the back patio if you have pets. 

Check the hours! They tend to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and don't open until later in the day. The chicken and pickled beets were pretty tasty.  

 The service here is pretty hit or miss, and they are usually out of some items, but the food they do have is pretty tasty. 

Started by a through hiker who's trail name is Gutterspike--ask him how he got it! Nice quality gear shop in the back, with the best coffee in town. Not much for food other than burritos or a bagel. Great vibes in this space, so many fun games, and a front yard that is always filled with cyclists, through-hikers, and everyday adventurers. 

This place always seems to be super busy, but for good reason! They have lots of pastries, breakfast burritos, and coffee. It's a bigger space to work in, but it's usually full so you may have better luck working at Zero Day. Great for grab-and-go treats, it's another cool space to chat with locals and check out the 14er wood carvings. 

One of Leadville's major attractions is Mt. Elbert, the tallest 14er in Colorado. A super fun ~10 mile out and back with ~4,700 ft of climbing, distance varies depending on where you park. Chase and I have run this trail many times, and have had no issue time wise running it in the afternoons. Summer is the peak tourist season so you'll see plenty of people hiking the trail, and it crosses paths with the Colorado Trail, where you may encounter some through hikers. 

Super fun run around the lake, with lots of paid camping nearby (though there is free camping just under the dam, but we'll get to that later!) The trail is really mellow and flat compared to everything else in Leadville, and it keeps you really close to the water. You will see plenty of people out fishing in the lake. Great place to acclimate. 

Sitting at 14,429 this peak is the second highest 14er, with Mt. Elbert right across the way. You can approach it a few ways, but the most popular is via the SE route, for ~13 mile out and back with 4,537 ft of climbing. Best time for hiking is June - October, then it turns into a skiing objective. 

Super cool way to dip your toes into the CT and check out a few longer segments. 

Some of the best people in town. Super easy to work with, they have everything you need for bike maintenance, and they are always so accommodating and willing to help. You can also get rental bikes here. 

The infamous Melly's. You have to make an appointment to come buy a Melly, but if you are just wanting to swing by, they do have a very small rack and bin where you can walk in to check them out. 

Fun trails running around the lake and tons of camping! A large attraction for those who like to go fishing. 

Great spot that's close to town if you need to bounce back and forth.

There are SO many campsites in Leadville, you don't every really need to worry about finding a free spot. Here are a few that we know of:

You can find spots pretty close to the dam which make it easy to walk over for a nice hike. If you want to be even closer to the lake, check out the spot below. 

Keep going up the road and you'll hit Halfmoon West for more camp spots; it's just an extension of sites. There is camping all the way up this road. 

Right across from the Mt. Elbert trailhead, this is a great spot if you want to be able to camp out next to the trail the night before summiting this 14er. You can literally roll out of bed and get going. There is also a restroom at this location. Lovely creek flowing nearby. 

Belle of Colorado sits right in the middle of 9 other campsites that go around Turquoise Lake. Many of these sites are right on the lake, if not less than a 5 minute walk from the lake. 

Step into a Leadville time capsule with this history rich original two-story hardware store. This building is full of Western and mining memorabilia, bottles, glassware, and coins. It also has vintage skis, sleds, pottery, pelts, collectibles, jewelry and more. 

Leadville Outdoors is an independently owned mountain shop that caters to every type of outdoor enthusiast. Whether that's skiing, running, or through hiking, they are very knowledgeable about the area and offer a range of gear depending on your needs. They also have beer and wine!

We hope these recommendations were helpful! 

If you ever want more personal suggestions, a full on itinerary, or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us via email or on our 

Leadville, CO

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