At over 10,150 feet above sea level, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States—and it lives up to its altitude in both scenery and grit. This former silver mining boomtown offers a unique mix of historic charm, alpine adventure, and remote offroad access. Whether you're exploring high mountain passes or tracing the paths of 19th-century prospectors, Leadville is a must-visit for 4WD enthusiasts traveling through Central Colorado.
Leadville is surrounded by a network of rugged trails that climb into the Sawatch and Mosquito Ranges. This is the kind of terrain that tests both driver and rig, with high-elevation routes delivering jaw-dropping views and unpredictable conditions.
One of the most iconic nearby routes is Mosquito Pass, which climbs to 13,185 feet—making it one of the highest drivable mountain passes in North America. The route connects Leadville to Fairplay and offers a combination of rocky climbs, snowdrifts (even in summer), and a true feeling of isolation.
To the southwest lies Mount Zion and Weston Pass, a more moderate but equally scenic alternative that descends into the San Isabel National Forest. Many of these routes connect with others leading into Buena Vista, Aspen, and Pitkin, making Leadville a strategic hub for overlanding routes across the region.
Founded in the late 1800s, Leadville was once one of the richest silver mining towns in the country. Remnants of that boom era still dot the landscape—abandoned shafts, mining relics, and original Victorian architecture line the streets and hillsides.
For history-minded travelers, the Leadville Mining District and the National Mining Hall of Fame provide context for the wild west legacy of this high-mountain town. You can even explore ghost towns like Winfield and St. Elmo nearby, accessible by dirt roads and seasonal 4WD trails.
Because of its altitude, trail access around Leadville is highly seasonal. Snow can linger into July on higher passes, and sudden storms are not uncommon well into the fall. Many routes are best attempted from late June through early October, depending on snowfall.
Carry recovery gear, check trail conditions ahead of time, and be aware of rapidly changing weather. The high elevation also means thinner air—both for engines and lungs—so pace yourself and keep an eye on your vehicle’s performance.
Despite its rough-and-ready backdrop, Leadville itself is welcoming, walkable, and packed with character. You’ll find authentic diners, gear shops, and a few locally loved breweries along the historic main street. The annual Leadville 100 endurance races and Skijoring competitions add to the town’s rugged reputation and make it a hub for adventure sports year-round.
With its access to high mountain passes, rich mining history, and strategic location between multiple offroad zones, Leadville offers more than just elevation—it offers immersion. It's a town where the past and present meet, where alpine exploration begins, and where every road feels like part of a much larger journey.
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Peaking at around 13,185 feet, Mosquito Pass is among the highest North American passes accessible to 4WD vehicles. Connecting the towns of Alma and Leadville, Colorado, this trail offers spectacular views, especially in early autumn when the nearby valley foliage begins to change color. The vibrant gold, amber, and green hues provide a stark contrast to the grey-brown stone and pale grasses covering the high, treeless ridges. Although open for year-round activities, Mosquito Pass can remain locked away in the cold hands of winter until midway through the summer months.
Tucked between two goliath fourteeners, Mount Massive and Mount Elbert, Halfmoon Creek is a popular trail with abundant camping, great water crossings, epic views, and an amazing reward at its finish line. This seasonal Colorado trail winds through dense forests and open meadows, gradually increasing in difficulty as it follows Halfmoon Creek to the edge of the treeline, where you can explore the historic Champion Mill, a silver ore processing mill from the late 19th century. This amazingly well-preserved mill is a fascinating glimpse into Colorado's mining history that Mother Nature is slowly reclaiming.
Located just south of Fairplay, Breakneck Pass is one of several hidden gems among Colorado four-wheel drive roads along the U.S. Highway 285 corridor. Breakneck Pass features easy to moderate climbs and descents within Pine and Aspen forests. The stretch that parallels Sheep Creek provides amazing views in all directions. This area of South Park is remote and far less traveled than other passes, making it a desirable destination for weekend overland exploration. Breakneck Pass closes seasonally, December 31st through June 15th.
Located only minutes from downtown Leadville, Mount Zion is a scenic, high-alpine trail providing incredible views of the nearby towering mountains. This off-road trail is a great half-day adventure providing viewpoints that cannot be seen by any other trail in the area. Several campsites and good cellular service make this a popular location for mountain boondocking.
Brown’s Pass is situated in the Pike/San Isabel National Forest a few miles south of Fairplay, Colorado. This area of South Park is remote and far less traveled than other passes, making it a desirable destination for weekend overland exploration. Brown’s Pass features moderate climbs and descents, with several connected roads providing spectacular views. Brown's Pass closes seasonally each year from January 1st to June 15th.
South Halfmoon Creek, also known as Iron Mike Mine, is a must-do trail known for its natural beauty and technical driving demands. It is located southwest of Leadville and follows the namesake tributary of the Arkansas River. Trekking along the western shadow of Colorado's tallest peak, Mount Elbert, you will encounter several water crossings, steep climbs, narrow paths, continuous rocky terrain, and one major rock obstacle that takes its job as the gatekeeper seriously. The breathtaking scenery at the end of this trail takes work and is a hard-earned reward.
County Road 5 is an easy, mostly graded dirt trail with great views of the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness and San Isabel National Forest. The road provides easy access to a few trail systems between Fairplay and Leadville, CO, and takes you directly to the Weston Pass TH. About halfway down this trail, a few small areas have small ruts and rocks protruding, but these are easy to drive over. While traveling on this road, you may see elk, black bears, moose, and other wildlife that call this area home. A handful of free dispersed camping sites along this trail are large enough for campers and larger groups. As you travel deeper into the mountain, the campsites get smaller and more remote, but dispersed camping is abundant in the surrounding area.
Saint Kevin Road connects Turquoise Lake Road to Bear Lake Road and requires a 4WD vehicle. The trail begins as a county road and then enters the San Isabel National Forest. The scenic drive takes you by large mines that are no longer in use. This trail gets narrow, steep, and rocky as it weaves into the forest and further up the mountain. There are a few campsites along this trail closer to the base of the mountain. Additionally, there are several developed campgrounds on the western end of nearby Turquoise Lake.
Lake County Road 6A is a nice, remote connecting road that follows Iowa Gulch to the Julia Fiske Mine. The forest is thick throughout the entire route, but there are a number of good Aspen viewing spots along the road.
The Champion Mine trail is a continuation of the Halfmoon Gulch trail that takes users to a high vantage point overlooking the Champion Mill. The trail is far more challenging than its counterpart. It climbs sharply up an exposed, single-lane, rutty trail with several passing opportunities. Users will encounter a series of small rock obstacles while ascending to the saddle between Mount Champion and French Mountain. These obstacles could be difficult for stock SUVs, and skid plates are highly recommended for stock vehicles as they are nearly guaranteed to scrape the underbelly more than once during the trek. The official trail ends here in the saddle, before circling the backside of Mount Champion. Although a well-worn route continues up the mountain to the old Champion mine site, this is a private parcel and not open for public use.
It is not uncommon for lingering snow to keep this trail impassable well into the summer months. Snow blocks the trail at inconvenient locations, making it difficult to turn around. Users are encouraged to scout the trail for snow before attempting and reminded to always stay on the trail and not attempt to drive around snow drifts.
Since most of this trail is on steep slopes above the timberline, suitable camping is practically non-existent, but plenty of campsites can be found lower down along the Halfmoon Gulch trail.
Lurking between the shadows of 14,036' Mount Sherman, 13,951' Gemini Peak, and 13,855' Dyer Mountain, Iowa Amphitheater is one of the most scenic and breathtaking trails you've never heard of. Located southeast of Leadville, along the Route Of The Silver Kings, this trail takes travelers back in time across old mining claims, past desolate structures and finally ends in a once prosperous basin filled with antique equipment that once produced over 10 million ounces of silver. This trail is a perfect escape for the adventure seeker that enjoys mining history and high-altitude views.
Thompson Park begins as a relatively smooth dirt road with some rocks and ruts for a couple of miles. This easier section features some really nice camping. After this, the trail gets narrow and very rocky as it climbs to near the treeline for some spectacular views. The trail ends at a gate with plenty of room to turn around.
Located a short distance north of Leadville, FSR 189 is a straight-through connecting road that offers good Fall color viewing and ideal basecamp locations for hunters. This road snakes its way through dense forest and aspen groves for a short 2 miles. Combine FSR 189 with Mount Zion and give yourself easy access to or from Highway 24 without traveling the same section twice.
Sugarloaf Mountain (also known as the Powerline Trail) is a scenic, moderate connector trail between Hagerman Pass Road and Leadville that climbs over the ridge above Turquoise Lake. It would be great to combine with Hagerman Pass for those who would like to spend more time on dirt. The trail starts out as a Forest Service road before turning into a combination of county road and private road with public access after exiting the National Forest. This is the only public road in the area, as all connecting roads are either admin only or are private and gated.
Though the trail is mostly in the trees, several open sections near the western end provide panoramic views of Turquoise Lake and the surrounding peaks. Some mining ruins can be seen along the road, though they are not as plentiful as in the East Side Mining District on the other side of the Leadville Valley.
The trail is moderately difficult throughout, with the main challenge being some rocky and rutted sections near the middle. These rocky sections will require a high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle and could prove difficult for some stock 4x4s . Dispersed campsites are abundant along the trail, and one campsite at an overlook would be spectacular as long as it's not too windy. This road is heavily used by mountain bikers and is part of the Leadville 100 racecourse, so be sure to watch out for bikers and be courteous to them.
Bear Lake Road is an out-and-back trail that branches off from the north side of Turquoise Lake Road and provides access to the Bear Lake hiking trailhead and Uncle Bud's Hut, one of many 10th Mountain Division Association huts in these mountains. As you climb the mountain further into the forest, this trail takes you past a few destroyed gold and silver mines that helped put the nearby city of Leadville, CO, on the map. Overall, this trail is easy, but a few steep grades and loose rocks require a 4-wheel drive vehicle. While there aren't any good campsites on this trail, quite a few are scattered around nearby Turquoise Lake.
Granite Burn is a short, steep trail that climbs 2000 feet above the town of Granite to the edge of the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness. This trail ends at a small Hayden Gulch hiking trail parking area.
There are no notable obstacles on this trail; however, several steep sections reach a maximum of 15 degrees incline. The last third of this trail also has limited passing spots for opposing traffic, so look ahead and keep track of any spots suitable for passing.
Camping is limited to about three small spots on this trail.
Located within the Leadville Mining District, southeast of town, Lake County 1C is a moderately rough 4-wheel-drive road that climbs sharply through Pigtail Gulch, connecting County Road 2 to County Roads 1A and 1B. The first half mile, traveling west to east, follows a single-lane dirt road next to a water culvert, passing several abandoned mines, including Modest Barrel, Garibaldi Tunnel, and the New England Mine. The trail then travels through two tight switchbacks that can be traversed in one go with careful tire placement and then continues in a northerly direction up a steep and loose hill, peppered with baseball-sized rocks and an occasional larger rock just breaking the trail's surface. The trail can be driven in either direction and is a good final trail if completing the Route of The Silver Kings Driving Tour and having an appropriate vehicle. This trail requires a high-clearance 4WD vehicle with selectable low-range gearing.
No camping is available along this trail.
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