West Tennessee Road

West Tennessee Road is a short but rewarding drive that leaves the pavement west of Leadville and winds through lodgepole pine forest to Lily Lake on the edge of the Holy Cross Wilderness. The road crosses Segment 9 of the Colorado Trail and is popular with campers, hikers, anglers, and anyone looking for a quiet mountain campsite away from the busier recreation areas. The first 1.75 miles are a smooth, graded dirt road suitable for any passenger vehicle, with abundant dispersed campsites tucked throughout the forest. After crossing a culvert and the North Fork West Tennessee Creek, the final quarter mile becomes noticeably rougher as exposed grapefruit-sized rocks cover the trail, making good ground clearance the minimum for reaching the lake. At the end of the road, Lily Lake offers a peaceful setting with lily pads covering much of the shoreline, scenic views toward the surrounding peaks, and two spacious dispersed campsites overlooking the water. While the drive is easy overall, the rough final stretch rewards those with a high-clearance vehicle by leading to one of the more secluded camping destinations in the Leadville area.