When the sun sets, the real adventure begins
Leadville in Colorado is known for many things, but most of all for being the highest city in North America. Previously, this Rocky Mountain destination was the hub of a thriving silver-mining industry that brought wealth and fame to the remote community. But like all boom-and-bust stories, Leadville eventually fell on hard times. Today, however, visitors can relive its glory years thanks to the preservation of some remarkable late 19th-century architecture and a frontier spirit that infuses Leadville with authentic Wild West character.
So, ready to take the high road? Click through this gallery and dig deeper into Leadville's mining town past.
Lying among the headwaters of the Arkansas River within Colorado's Rocky Mountains is the city of Leadville.
Leadville's elevation is 10,152 ft (3,094 m), which makes it the highest incorporated city in North America.
Over and above its lofty credentials, Leadville serves as a reminder of the Wild West and the gold and silver rush eras, when fortunes could be made practically overnight.
Leadville is a former mining town. The first mineral deposits were found in the region's California Gulch in 1860. Twenty years later, rich seams of zinc, iron, gold, silver, and lead were being quarried.
Prospectors from far and wide converged on the town, around 10,000 in fact. Leadville quickly expanded as a town of tents and log cabins.
This once remote one-horse community was soon being served by three railroads with locomotives disgorging hundreds of miners daily, lured to this scenic corner of Colorado by a promise of rich pickings.
One such wishful thinker was prospector and businessman Horace Tabor. His success in Leadville's silver mines made him one of the wealthiest men in Colorado.
Tabor, together with American mining engineer August Meyer, actually founded Leadville in 1877. A year later, it was incorporated. In other words, Leadville became self-governing.
At its peak, there were 30,000 people in Leadville. Mining camps had sprung up everywhere, and by 1884 the town had freighted 54 million ounces (142 million grams) of silver.
Leadville's wealth saw new buildings lining the town's thoroughfare. The most lavish was the Tabor Opera House. Financed by Horace Tabor, it was the costliest structure in Colorado at the time.
Adding further to Leadville's cosmopolitan veneer were the hotels, saloons, and merchants' stores that served its residents. Well-known names came to visit, including Buffalo Bill and Doc Holiday. Oscar Wilde and Harry Houdini performed at the opera house. Business was booming.
But the good times were not to last. By 1893, silver prices had began to plummet, and the prospectors drifted away. Leadville's glory days were over, and the town went bust.
A few intrepid mining operations bucked the trend and actually made a profit going into the 20th century. One of these was the Derry Ranch Gold Dredging Company. The Derry Dredge was known to be one of the most successful dredges in the United States and mined lucrative pay dirt until 1922.
Exhausted of its once plentiful minerals, much of Leadville fell into disrepair. By the 1930s it was practically a ghost town.
In 1942, the US Army constructed a training facility between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River Valley—Camp Hale.
Camp Hale was home to the 10th Mountain Division. Here, soldiers were trained in mountain climbing, Alpine and Nordic skiing, cold-weather survival, and various weapons and ordnance.
Units of the 10th Mountain Division later saw action in Italy's Apennine Mountains during the winter of 1944-1945. Despite suffering heavy losses, their actions were instrumental in Germany's eventual surrender.
In 2022, the site where Camp Hale once stood (pictured) was designated as the Camp Hale—Continental Divide National Monument by then US President Joe Biden.
In the late 1970s, Leadville's city fathers embarked on an ambitious plan to revitalize the city's economy by encouraging tourism and emphasizing its history and opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Spearheading this initiative was the inauguration in 1977 of the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. The facility is dedicated to commemorating the work of miners and people who work with natural resources.
Fortunately, much of Leadville is still infused with the spirit of the Wild West through the preservation of some key landmarks. The Tabor Opera House still stands, and continues as a thriving performing arts venue.
The Silver Dollar Saloon is one of the few original gold rush-era bars remaining in the western United States. Stepping inside the saloon is like delving into the past, with many furnishings throughout the building being original pieces from the late 1800s.
Among the hotels in Leadville is the Delaware. Once a premier lodging for mining magnates, the historic property has been welcoming guests since 1886.
Another landmark Leadville hotel property is the Tabor Grand. Built in 1885 on the instructions of Horace Tabor, the property today stands as a renovated aparthotel.
A retro dining experience can be savored at the Golden Burro Cafe. It opened in 1945 within a building that dates back to 1898.
Nightlife in Leadville is typically themed around live country music performances. The town's choice of authentic bars provide a suitably realistic stage.
Beyond Leadville's city limits is a countryside of breathtaking beauty. The city is situated between two mountain ranges: the Mosquito Range to the east, and the Sawatch Range to the west.
Twelve miles (19 km) southwest of Leadville is Mount Elbert, the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains. Nearer west at 10 miles (16 km) is Mount Massive, the Rockies second-highest peak.
Colorado's high-altitude environment means long ski seasons and some of the best snow in the United States. Arapahoe Basin, for example, is known for its extended season and extreme terrain.
Winter Park has previously been named "Best Ski Resort in North America" and "Number 1 Ski Resort in North America."
And it's in winter that Leadville hosts the annual Ski Joring event. Held since 1949, the competition involves a horse and rider towing a skier at high speeds through the center of town over jumps and obstacles in a timed race.
Sources: (Leadville.com) (Colorado.com) (Tabor Opera House) (Visit Leadville-Twin Lakes) (National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum)
See also: Exploring Colorado, the Centennial State
Exploring Leadville, the highest city in North America
Dig deeper into Leadville's mining town past
TRAVEL Colorado
Leadville in Colorado is known for many things, but most of all for being the highest city in North America. Previously, this Rocky Mountain destination was the hub of a thriving silver-mining industry that brought wealth and fame to the remote community. But like all boom-and-bust stories, Leadville eventually fell on hard times. Today, however, visitors can relive its glory years thanks to the preservation of some remarkable late 19th-century architecture and a frontier spirit that infuses Leadville with authentic Wild West character.
So, ready to take the high road? Click through this gallery and dig deeper into Leadville's mining town past.