• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Uncover Colorado Logo

  • Blog
  • Activities
    • Year-round
      • Brewery Tours
      • Casinos & Gaming
      • Caves
      • Colorado Brands
      • Escape Rooms
      • Federal Lands
      • Food & Dining
      • Ghost Towns
      • Gondola & Chairlifts
      • Hot Springs
      • Lakes
      • Landmarks
      • Mine Tours
      • Mountains
      • Museums
      • Paintball
      • Performing Arts
      • Public Parks
      • Rivers
      • Scenic Drives
      • Sightseeing Tours
      • Shopping
      • Sports Teams
      • State Parks
      • Train Rides
      • Transportation
      • Winery Tours
      • Wildlife
      • Zip Lines & Aerial Parks
    • Spring, Summer & Fall
      • Amusement Parks
      • ATV Rentals
      • Biking
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Drive-In Theaters
      • Fishing
      • Golf Courses
      • Hiking
      • Horseback Riding
      • Jeep Rentals
      • Rock Climbing
      • Tubing & Paddling
      • Waterfalls
      • Whitewater Rafting
    • Winter
      • Cross Country Skiing
      • Dog Sledding
      • Ice Climbing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Ice Skating
      • Skiing & Snowboarding
      • Sleigh Rides
      • Snow Tubing
      • Snowbiking
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Events
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Lodging
    • Budget Hotels
    • Historic Hotels
    • Luxury Hotels
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    • Boutique Hotels
    • Cabins & Glamping
    • Casinos w/ Lodging
    • Hot Spring w/ Lodging
    • Wineries w/ Lodging
    • Best Hotels
    • Dude Ranches
    • Campgrounds
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
  • Search
  • Blog
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Lodging
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
Ivanhoe Lake Leadville CO
Ivanhoe Lake, Leadville, CO. Photo by: Scott Ingram

Ivanhoe Lake – Leadville

FacebookTwitter

Ivanhoe Lake is a small, natural body of water in the White River National Forest, located on the west side of the continental divide, near Leadville, Colorado. Sitting at an elevation of 10,988 feet above sea level along a rough dirt road, Ivanhoe Lake is only accessible by foot, bicycle, horseback, or a 4WD vehicle with high clearance.

To reach Ivanhoe Lake, travelers must head 15 miles west of Leadville, past Turquoise Lake and over Hagerman Pass. After the pass, there is a sharp left turn on Ivanhoe Lake Rd which follows Ivanhoe Creek to the lake in about 2 miles.

Road access to Ivanhoe Lake typically opens in May of each year and closes after the first large snowfall in mid to late fall. Snow may still be present on top of the pass as late as July.

Overlooking Ivanhoe Lake Colorado
Overlooking Ivanhoe Lake in the White River National Forest. Photo by: Scott Ingram

Ivanhoe Lake History

In 1921, water from Ivanhoe Lake was first diverted across the Great Continental Divide via the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel (formerly used for railroad and highway travel) near Hagerman Pass. Originally used for irrigation in the Arkansas River Valley, the water rights from Ivanhoe Lake are now primarily split between the cities of Pueblo and Aurora, Colorado.

Activities at Ivanhoe Lake

The journey to Ivanhoe Lake offers incredibly scenic views through the San Isabel and White River national forests via the 4WD Hagerman Pass Road. Visitors are rewarded with open meadows, seasonal wildflowers, dense forests, mountain streams, towering peaks, and opportunities for hiking, backpacking, birdwatching, and viewing wildlife.

Camping: On the north side of Ivanhoe Lake, there are a few designated, primitive camping sites that are free for overnight visits on a first-come, first-served availability. Beyond this, there are also similar sites available throughout the White River and San Isabel National Forests near Hagerman Pass.

For a different kind of overnight experience, the 10th Mountain Division’s Betty Bear Hut is located just past Ivanhoe Lake, which provides year-round shelter and is popular for backcountry skiing trips.

  • Read about the camping near Leadville and Twin Lakes.
  • Read about the camping near Basalt, Snowmass and Aspen.

Fishing: A valid Colorado fishing license is required for anglers looking to fish in Ivanhoe Lake or other national forest waters. Lucky anglers can typically catch cutthroat, brook, and rainbow trout along Ivanhoe Lake’s uncrowded shores. Nearby, fishing access is a bit easier and more popular in Ivanhoe Creek, Nast Lake, and the Frying Pan River.

Ivanhoe Lake Leadville CO Portrait
Ivanhoe Lake portrait. Photo by: Scott Ingram

Details

Address: Ivanhoe Lake, Ivanhoe Lake Rd, Leadville, CO 80461

Phone: 970-963-2266

Season: Late May to mid-October

Hours: 24/7

Fees: None

Map: fs.usda.gov/… (PDF)

Website: fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=41606

Primary Sidebar

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. —and never miss out again.

Recent Posts

  • Things to do in June in Colorado
  • Things to do in May in Colorado
  • Top Beer Festivals in Colorado in 2023
  • Colorado’s Top Wine Festivals in 2023
  • 8 Great Springtime Colorado Festivals

Footer

Get In Touch

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Resources
  • Disclaimer
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Disclosure: Uncover Colorado is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Things To Do

  • Travel Blog
  • Colorado Activities
  • Colorado Events
  • Colorado Towns
  • Colorado Hotels
  • Colorado Restaurants
  • Colorado Transportation
  • Made in Colorado

Cheers! Mile High Happy Hour shares showcases Denver neighborhoods' restaurant happy hours.

Spring Activities

  • Amusement Parks
  • Federal Lands
  • Ghost Towns
  • Hot Springs
  • Ski Resorts
  • State Parks
  • Train Rides
  • Waterfalls

Copyright © 2023 · Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise