Buena Vista & Salida, Colorado

TURQUOISE LAKE RECREATION AREA

Nestled among the peaks of Leadville, is Turquoise Lake. It was named after the many turquoise mines nearby and is located at nearly 10,000 feet elevation. Originally a natural lake, it was dammed in the late 18th century to support the many mining operations.

Turquoise Lake is surrounded by eight campgrounds, offering about 300 spots. With two boat launches, it is very popular in the summers. Though it is only about five miles from Leadville, it offers amazing views where you can get away from it all and take in the scenery from this high altitude.

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Turquoise Lake Recreation Area

You can certainly go out in the middle of the lake to catch rainbow, cutthroat, brook and brown trout. But the lake is also good for shore fishing, kayakers and even windsurfing if you’ve got a wetsuit. It stays pretty cold at this high of elevation!

Enjoy an afternoon taking a mountain bike ride around the lake with either the 15-mile loop or stay on the road and do the 13-mile loop. For hikers, it’s truly a paradise of wildflowers, aspens and evergreens. The Turquoise Lake Trail is a gentle six-mile trek that is on relatively easy terrain and is great for families. You can also take the Timberline Lake Trail and go deeper into the Holy Cross Wilderness.

You can easily spend the day picnicking at one of the National Forest Service sites for a small fee. The Lady of the Lake and the Maid of Erin and popular ones. Or load up the kids for a horseback riding adventure around the alpine terrain.

In wintertime, the lake is open for ice-fishing and the trails are groomed by the local snowmobilers club. This leaves many of the trails open for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and fat biking.

US Forest Service