Leadville National Fish Hatchery

Visit Us

Leadville National Fish Hatchery provides many exciting visitor opportunities, as well as gives back to the local communities. Open to the public, the hatchery welcomes visitors for a close-up view of the fish production process. With over 36,000 visitors annually, the dedicated volunteer hosts at the Visitor Center bring the hatchery experience alive.

Activities

In addition to the hatchery experience, visitors also have a bounty of nearby recreational opportunities to explore!

Leadville is located at the main trailhead access into the Mt. Massive Wilderness Area, with access to the 14,000-foot peak, Mt. Massive. There are many hiking opportunities including the Rock Creek, Highline, and Kearney Park Trails, which all originate on hatchery grounds. These three trails intersect with the Colorado Trail in the Mt. Massive Wilderness Area, offering different routes to hike a loop starting and ending on the hatchery.
Be sure to bring your binoculars for the spectacular wildlife viewing, such as mountain blue birds, juncos, jays, hawks, eagles, waterfowl, elk, deer, porcupines, fox and pine martins.
Educational programs/tours may be provided for organized programs and school groups during business hours by appointment. Tours are dependent on staff availability.
The hatchery also participates in local public outreach activities, such as the Annual 5th grade Pathways to Fishing Program, and supports local community activities, such as the Fish Hatchery 5K running race. Partnerships with Friends of the Leadville National Fish Hatchery, Lake County, Trout Unlimited, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Outward Bound School continue to help provide many recreational opportunities for visitors.