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Leadville Ranger District
Leadville Ranger District
The district encompasses 286,000 acres and includes Colorado's highest peak, Mt. Elbert, with an elevation of 14,433 feet.
ADDRESS:
810 Front Street
Leadville, CO 80461
Phone (719) 486-0749
Fax (719) 486-0928
The Leadville Ranger District of the San Isabel National Forest is located in Leadville, Colorado which is at an elevation of 10,152 ft. The district encompasses 286,000 acres and includes parts of the Mt. Massive Wilderness (27,980 acres), the Holy Cross Wilderness (122,797 acres), the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness (166,938 acres), and the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness (43,410 acres), with an additional wilderness single unit management of 42,400 acres.
The district is home to Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado at 14,433 ft. and also includes seven other 14,000ft peaks also called “Fourteeners”. Visit the Leadville Ranger District Fourteeners page for more information about the mountains and their standard routes.
There are many notable areas on the district including the Ski Cooper Ski Area on Tennessee Pass (Hwy 24) at 10,425 ft; Fremont Pass (Hwy 91) at 11,300 ft. where the Headwaters of the Arkansas River are located; Mosquito Pass (the highest 4WD pass in the U.S.) at 13,186 ft. and Independence Pass (the highest paved pass in the U.S.) at 12,100 ft. which is accessed via Hwy 82.
Popular activities include Day Hiking and Backpacking where visitors can experience the beautiful Colorado landscape with many alpine lakes and creeks, along with an abundance of wildlife. Or visit the Interlaken Historic Resort or the Vicksburg Mining Camp to learn more about the Leadville silver rush and the amazing mining history of the area.