Trail Overview
This route travels through Leadville’s historic mining district, passing several old mining ruins, colorful tailings piles, and remnants of the area’s extensive mining activity before dropping toward the historic Stumptown area. The trail begins with wider, relatively smooth dirt and gravel before narrowing to mostly one vehicle-wide, although occasional wider areas provide room for vehicles to pass. Dense stands of pine and spruce border portions of the route, while more open sections cross rocky hillsides covered with low shrubs and scattered young trees. The surface becomes progressively rougher in places, with washouts, whoops, loose rock, and exposed rocks reaching approximately 10 inches in diameter. Some sections require careful tire placement, particularly where rocks cover much of the trail. A high-clearance 4x4 is recommended for comfortably traveling the entire route.
Difficulty
The route consists primarily of dirt and gravel with sections of loose rock, washouts, whoops, and embedded or exposed rocks reaching approximately 10 inches in diameter. Most of the trail is one vehicle wide, and the rougher rocky sections require careful tire placement and sufficient ground clearance, making a high-clearance 4x4 recommended.
History
Leadville's surrounding mountains are heavily connected to Colorado's mining history. Mining booms beginning in the 1860s transformed the area, with gold, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and other minerals driving development over different periods. Many roads and routes throughout the mountains originated as access to mines, claims, settlements, and other industrial sites. Remnants of this history can still be found throughout the area, including mine workings, foundations, structures, and old transportation corridors. Leadville was also once home to the Unsinkable Molly Brown, who lived in the city during its mining boom and met and married J.J. Brown there. Doc Holliday also called Leadville home during the 1880s, spending time in the city's saloons and gambling halls during one of its most colorful periods. Leadville itself is recognized as a National Historic Landmark District.
