Riding the High Line Out of Leadville

Leadville already sits high, around 10,150 feet, so a train that climbs from there feels like a small dare. The Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad has been carrying passengers out of the old mining town since Memorial Day weekend of 1988, when Ken and Stephanie Olsen reopened the last working stretch of a line that once ran all the way to Denver. The grade you ride today was built for ore and supplies, not sightseeing, which is part of the charm.

The trip is an unhurried round trip of roughly two and a half hours through the San Isabel National Forest, up along the side of the Upper Arkansas River Valley. From the open and covered cars you get long looks at Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, the two tallest peaks in Colorado, plus aspen, meadows, and summer wildflowers. The route climbs roughly a thousand feet above town toward the old Climax line, reaching close to 11,000 feet near the high turnaround, where the air is thin and the views run for miles. It is an easy, family-friendly way to connect with the railroad chapter of Leadville’s silver story without lacing up boots.

The schedule is seasonal, with more frequent trains in summer and fewer in the off months, so check current departures before you go at leadvillerailroad.com.