Grizzly Lake Gatekeeper
This marks the entrance to the Grizzly Lake four-wheel drive route, involves rock crawling. There is a gatekeeper after a stream crossing that might require a winch ascent at this very point. Alone in my old Land Rover, I opted to turn around here and go elsewhere.

Coffee Shop
City on a Hill coffee shop in downtown Leadville, Colorado. Good coffee and pastries. There’s a line very early in the morning. This coffee shop gets busier with every passing season, and hikers and runners get their early starts here.

Treeline Kitchen
A lovely restaurant and dining experience in Leadville, Colorado. Great place for a date night!

St Elmo Ghost Town
An old mining town and cabin community in the mountains, with a general store. Historic and scenic. Easily accessed via a gentle dirt road. Popular place for tourists. Hikers and OHV enthusiasts stage and branch off from here.

Camp CO - Inset Woodland
Spur turns off forest road to access this wooded camping area that is set back in the woods. Good privacy. High elevation. Requires high-clearance 4x4.

Mining Camp Ruins
Ruins of old mine structures adjacent to the forest road. A great place to stop and inspect on foot. Enjoy the history but do no harm!

Camp CO - Shady Grove
Just off the side of the forest road, a small primitive campsite with a stone fire ring. Requires high-clearance 4x4 to access.

Picturesque Cabin Ruins
Partially collapsed cabin next to the stream, plainly visible from the forest road. Picturesque. Nothing interesting inside.

Gas Station
A Loves gas station. It’s a good place to top off and resupply, but is often pretty busy.

Camp CO - Leadville Base Camp
One of our favorite dispersed camping areas only a 20 minute drive from downtown Leadville, Colorado. Overlooking a meadow with the Collegiate Peaks towering overhead to the west. A spacious clearing on the edge of the tree line with a primitive stone fire ring. Enough room for three vehicles. Airy views to the south. Great cell service and sufficient view of the sky for satellite connectivity. This is a lesser known but still active dispersed camping area, so privacy is moderate. There may be other campers in the area. Accessible by any stock four-wheel drive vehicle, but the road is primitive, narrow in places, and involves a climb up a gentle hillside. Nearby hiking and exploring opportunities. Wonderful spot to settle into for a week.

Grocery
The Safeway grocery store in Leadville, CO.

High Mountain Pies
Pizza shop in Leadville, Colorado. Wonderful pizza, outside sitting area, and beer. This is where Shannon and I went on our first date in 2020, so we visit here for both the food and the memories.

Gnarly Rock Obstacle
The most challenging obstacle on the road to Pomeroy Lake. It consists of a rocky ascent of staggered steps. High-clearance or lightly modified 4x4 required. There is a clean line that is fairly straightforward, but there is still a lot that can go wrong. There is a bypass so it is not required.

Camp CO - Wooded Trailside
Dispersed campsite tucked in the woods here. Secluded and requires high-clearance 4x4 to access.

Camp CO - Gnarly Rocks
A high-elevation dispersed campsite only accessible via high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicle. Stone fire ring, great views all around, not far from Pomeroy Lake.

Pomeroy Lake
Scenic high-elevation basin dotted with picturesque alpine lakes in a barren area with low vegetation

Grocery
Grocery store in Buena Vista, good for restocking if camping or exploring in the vicinity

Junction to Antero
Junction to high-clearance Mt Antero route to the south, which is one of the most scenic 4x4 ascents in the area

Air Up/Down
Good place to air down or up adjacent to Taylor Lake, if touring some of the surrounding unpaved routes.

Dirt - Groomed County Road
Major thoroughfare from Chalk Canyon into historic St Elmo ghost town

4x4 - Rough County Road
From St Elmo into mountains to south, to access mining areas and cabins

4x4 - Primitive Track
Stock 4x4 OK, some narrow sections, pavement to base camp

4x4 - High-Clearance to Lake
Scenic, high-clearance 4x4 route to Pomeroy Lake, with camping opportunities

Street - Base Camp to Leadville

Street - Leadville to Base Camp

4x4 - Primitive Track
Stock 4x4 OK, some narrow sections, dispersed camping options

Street - BV to Leadville Camp

Street - Leadville Camp to Chalk Canyon

Street - Taylor Lake to Leadville Camp

Street - Chalk Canyon to BV

4x4 - Rock Crawling Route
To Grizzly Lake, winching likely - I had to turn around at gatekeeper

Dirt - Groomed County Road
From St Elmo into mountains to south, to access mining areas and cabins

Dirt - Groomed Residential
Small section of dirt road in residential St Elmo, continues to rock crawling route