Turquoise Lake
1132 Tennessee Creek Rd, Leadville, CO
Leadville, CO
A high blue reservoir ringed in pine below the tallest mountains in Colorado, a cool escape just above the historic town of Leadville.
Turquoise Lake is a beautiful high mountain reservoir just west of Leadville, cradled among forested hills beneath the towering Sawatch Range. At nearly two miles above sea level, near the foot of Colorado's highest peaks, it offers cool, clear water and classic high-country scenery within easy reach of one of the state's most historic towns.
Ringed by pine forest and lakeside campgrounds, with a scenic drive tracing its shoreline, the lake is a favorite for boating, fishing, and camping in summer. Its setting near Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, the two highest summits in the state, makes it a scenic base for anglers, paddlers, and hikers heading into the high Rockies.
What Guests Love
- A clear high-country reservoir ringed by pine forest
- Boating, paddling, and fishing beneath the Sawatch peaks
- A scenic shoreline drive and lakeside campgrounds
- Cool mountain air and access to nearby fourteeners
Worth Knowing
- The lake sits very high, so expect cold water and chilly mornings even in summer
- Afternoon storms build quickly over the peaks, so watch the weather on the water
- The season is short; ice and snow linger late and return early
- Historic Leadville nearby offers lodging, dining, and mining history
Details
Leadville, CO
Learn about Turquoise Lake
A reservoir in the high Rockies
Turquoise Lake was formed by a dam on a mountain creek and is part of the network of reservoirs and tunnels that move water across the Continental Divide. Set high in the mountains, it holds cold, clear water that reflects the surrounding forest and peaks.
The lake's elevation shapes everything about it. The water stays cold, the air is cool and thin, and the season is short, but the payoff is spectacular high-country scenery and a sense of being right up among Colorado's tallest mountains.
On and around the water
The lake is popular for boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing, with anglers pursuing trout in the cold water. A scenic road loops along much of the shoreline, giving access to boat ramps, picnic spots, and a string of campgrounds set among the pines.
Trails wind through the surrounding forest and up into the high country, and the lakeshore itself makes for pleasant walking with constant mountain views. The combination of accessible water and wild backdrop makes Turquoise Lake a rewarding place to spend a few unhurried summer days.
Beneath Colorado's highest peaks
Turquoise Lake sits near the base of the Sawatch Range, home to Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, the two highest peaks in Colorado. The lake is a natural staging point for those hoping to climb the fourteeners or simply take in the grandeur of the highest mountains in the Rockies.
The high, wild setting also means abundant wildlife and quiet once you leave the busiest shorelines. Deer, elk, and mountain birds frequent the forest, and the peaks change mood with the shifting mountain weather, from bright summer mornings to sudden afternoon storms.
Leadville, history, and the seasons
Just east of the lake, Leadville is the highest incorporated town in the country and one of Colorado's great mining towns, its Victorian streets recalling the silver boom that once made it rich. It offers lodging, dining, and museums, and makes a characterful base for a lake visit.
This high country is part of the ancestral homeland of the Ute people, who traveled and hunted these mountains long before the miners arrived. Summer is the prime season at the lake, short but glorious, with fall bringing golden aspen and the first snows, and winter locking the high reservoir in ice and deep snow.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Leadville
Leadville
About 4 miles east
The highest incorporated town in the country, a historic silver-mining town with museums and dining.
Mount Elbert
About 10 miles south
The highest peak in Colorado, a strenuous but non-technical fourteener climb.
Leadville Colorado and Southern Railroad
In Leadville
A scenic train ride through the high mountains from the historic town.