Twin Lakes village is a preserved 1800s mountain town

South of Leadville, the small settlement of Twin Lakes is more than a wide spot in the road. It is a preserved late-1800s mountain village, with old log buildings still standing from the days when this was a stop on the route between the Leadville and Aspen mining districts. The Forest Service recognizes it as a historic district.

Across the water is an even quieter relic: Interlaken. In the 1880s it was expanded into a lakeside resort where well-off visitors came to boat, relax, and escape the mining grit. Its later fate is part of the lesson here. When the reservoirs were enlarged, the resort was cut off, and today Interlaken is reached on foot rather than by carriage.

For a newcomer, these two places explain a different side of the county. Long before today’s recreation crowds, this high valley already drew tourists alongside miners. They also sit on managed public land, so what you can do there, and how you reach Interlaken, follows Forest Service rules and seasonal conditions.

Trail access and open buildings change with the season and with restoration work, so check before you go. For visitor and history details, start with the Forest Service pages on the Twin Lakes Historic District and the Interlaken historic resort.