Leadville
One of the most interesting facets of exploring Colorado's backcountry is encountering the legacy of its mining heritage. Few places reveal the extent of that past as much as Leadville. In addition, no other city in the United States provides as much easy access to high altitude terrain.
While the infamous Leadville Trail 100 running and mountain biking races give the town its well-deserved hardcore reputation, the area has some easy and fun rides for novice cyclists and families. The Mineral Belt Trail, for instance, may be the best municipal, multi-use trail in the in the country: it's scenic, easy, and they groom it for skiing in winter! This, however, does not imply they are all easy. The Mosquito Pass route, for example, may be the most physically demanding ride in this guide.
While the infamous Leadville Trail 100 running and mountain biking races give the town its well-deserved hardcore reputation, the area has some easy and fun rides for novice cyclists and families. The Mineral Belt Trail, for instance, may be the best municipal, multi-use trail in the in the country: it's scenic, easy, and they groom it for skiing in winter! This, however, does not imply they are all easy. The Mosquito Pass route, for example, may be the most physically demanding ride in this guide.
GPS files and interactive maps:
Overlooking Leadville and Turquoise Lake from the historic Mining District
2009 LT100: Armstrong Dominates
Courtesy of J. Stack 2009
Ethan Passant pulls Wiens and the pack to the Columbine climb: 2008 Leadville Trail 100
Race Course Scouting Routes:
These fun routes will help you acclimitize as you scout the course. Broken into simple, 1-2 hour rides, these routes explore the three major climbs of the course.
Floyd Landis rolls in 2nd at the 2007 LT 100
That says it all...
More Routes:
The following routes are not included in the book Arkansas Valley Mountain Biking. Each route is completely documented with topo maps, mileage logs, and GPS files.