Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Leadville

County Road 48

County Road 48Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.2 mi
distance
24 ft
climb
9,691 ft
high point
Easy
difficulty
Jun–Aug
best months

Is County Road 48 open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Leadville Ranger District. It doesn't name County Road 48, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Leadville Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

County Road 48 is a short cross-country ski route in the Leadville Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. The route is less than a quarter mile long, rising about 24 feet from a start elevation of 9,669 feet to a high point of 9,691 feet. The climb is easy, with the steepest stretch at about 3% grade near the middle of the route. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show January and February highs around 31 to 33°F with lows near 3°F, while summer brings highs in the low to mid 70s. That station sits about 47 feet lower than the route's high point, so temperatures on the road may run slightly cooler. Ddh Headgates Road lies just 0.1 mile away for a longer ski outing. Matchless Campground and Matchless Boating Site are each about a mile off, and the Fallen Tree hike is roughly 1.4 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Matchless Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.3 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    La Mina Tacos Y Mariscos

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 5 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Craig Talbert, CC BY 3.0 (commons)

More in Leadville

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit County Road 48

    Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      31° / 3°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      33° / 3°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      39° / 9°

      8 wet

    4. Apr

      44° / 18°

      8 wet

    5. May

      55° / 27°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      68° / 34°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      73° / 39°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 38°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      62° / 31°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 23°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 14°

      7 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 6°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sugarloaf Rsvr, CO, 0.4 mi away at 9,738 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive

Back 9Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Back 9

~7 min drive

1.52-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 224 ft of elevation gain.

GrizPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Griz

~14 min drive

Griz is a 0.83-mile trail in Colorado with 26 ft of elevation gain.

Willa'S WayPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Willa'S Way

~14 min drive

0.86-mile trail in Colorado with 89 ft of elevation gain.

CooperPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cooper

~14 min drive

Cooper is a 0.24-mile ski trail in Colorado with 10 feet of elevation gain.

Ski CooperPhoto: The original uploader was Sculptorjones at English Wikipedia., Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Ski Cooper

~15 min drive

Ski Cooper in Colorado has 5 lifts and 47 runs (12 easy, 16 intermediate, 18 advanced) with 1,161 ft of vertical.

CutoffPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cutoff

~8 min drive

Cutoff is a 0.35-mile trail in Colorado with 51 feet of elevation gain.

Lung BurnPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lung Burn

~14 min drive

0.49-mile trail in Colorado with 186 ft of elevation gain.

Larry'S LoopPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Larry'S Loop

~14 min drive

Larry'S Loop is a short 0.86-mile loop in Colorado with 256 feet of elevation gain.

Treeline Loop Ski TrailPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Treeline Loop Ski Trail

~14 min drive

1.60-mile loop in Tennessee Pass, Colorado with 466 ft elevation gain.

SEE

Dutch Henry Ski Hill

~7 min drive

Dutch Henry Ski Hill is a small downhill ski area in Colorado with 1 rope tow. It is operated by Colorado Mountain College.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors