Located near the geographic center of the state of Colorado, about 60 miles west of Denver, is the Heart of the Rockies™ region of the state. The top of the heart-shaped region frames I-70 as it leaves the Eisenhower Tunnel, dips down to Copper Mountain, and then cruises over Vail Pass on the way to Beaver Creek. The bottom point of the heart is just north of Salida, which means “exit” in Spanish.

Near the center of the heart is Leadville, historically a mining town and now the center of a bustling nature-recreation industry. Within about 30 miles of Leadville are five major ski resorts, plus family-friendly Ski Cooper, 18 of the state’s 54 14ers to hike/climb, and the Arkansas River, the most commercially rafted river in the U.S.

U.S highway 24 connects Vail to Leadville and then follows the Arkansas River down to Salida. Private air service is available at the Leadville-Lake County airport (LXV), a popular military-training runway, with a surface rated “Excellent” by the FAA. In the past, scheduled airline service operated at LXV, with the possibility of this service returning in the future.

Come to enjoy all the nature-based experiences in the Heart of the Rockies™ and you may never want to leave.