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Sugar Loafin' Campground – reviews, photos

303 Hwy 300, Leadville, CO 80461
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4.0 of 5 stars 8 Reviews
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8 reviews from our community

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Westminster, Colorado
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“There's just something about this place”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 July 2011

Wife and I camped at Sugar Loafin' this past weekend (July 22-24) and it was her first time here and my second. My first time was way back in August 1996.

If you're into recreational activities in and around the Leadville area, camping is pretty much your only option. The City of Leadville is rather limited on quality hotel/motels, plus you get some really good things in return after a campout at Sugar Loafin.

Our main event was climbing Mount Elbert (el. 14,440', highest in the state, 2nd highest in the 48 states) on Saturday.

The staff at Sugar Loafin' is absolutely awesome. After you check in, they guide you to your campsite. Personally, I don't feel this is necessary as most people can figure out campsite maps pretty easily. Plus, each site is well numbered. But, it's still a nice personal touch and they're making sure you know where to go, etc.

At night, it is a very quiet campground. You are nowhere near any major highways and the railroad track that is about 1/2 mile away is considered "inactive" by UP and has been since 1997 (why they just don't abandon it and pull up the rails and someone makes a great bike path out of it is beyond me). You might occasionally hear some traffic from Hwy 24, but that is several miles away.

The campground really does go out of their way to make sure campers stay involved. They have an ice cream social every night from 6:30pm - 7pm. For just $1.50/person you can get unlimited ice cream as long as you provide your own bowl. There is also a really nice rec room with video games and a pool table. Plus, you can rent mountain bikes, get set up to go whitewater rafting, fishing, even a tour around Turquoise Lake all referred to you by the campground or can be as part of your experience staying there.

Most of the sites have water and electricity. The only ones that don't are the more secluded sites (the lettered sites). While this section of the campground is very nice and can be rather secluded from other sites, you need to consider how comfortable you will be at night. Because the campground is at 10,000 feet, it WILL get around or below 40 degrees even in the middle of summer. We woke up Saturday morning to find our thermometer at 36 degrees. So if you don't reserve a site that has electricity, be prepared to bundle up at night!

The only drawback were the mosquitoes! Make sure you bring tons of bug spray (sold in the office for $8/can) and citronella candles. I'm originally from the midwest where mosquitoes and numerous variety of bugs rule, and this just absolutely astounded me! Even in Denver we don't see nearly as many mosquitoes.

But otherwise, I strongly recommend Sugar Loafin' to anyone who is looking for outdoor recreational activities in the Leadville area. Very clean campground, very well maintained, and the staff will go out of their way to make sure you have the best stay possible (even with mosquitoes)

Room Tip: All lettered sites have no electricity or water!
See more room tips
  • Stayed July 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Carmel, New York
1 review
“Fell in love with Sugar Loafin'”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 July 2011

We first stayed at Sugar Loafin’ Campground the summer of 1974 and fell in love with its natural high country setting, close to hiking, fishing ( river & lake), ATV & bike rentals and beautiful views of Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive both of which are over fourteen thousand feet. Family owned and operated since the 1960’s they are really concerned about your camping experience and want you back. They have a wonderful, helpful and knowledgeable staff to help you with your stay. Every evening there is an ice cream social for everyone to get together and talk about what they did that day and to make plans for tomorrow. We met many nice people interested in the outdoors.

We have a 33’ motorhome and there was a variety of sites for us to choose from with water, electric ( 20A, 30A, 50A), sewer & dump station. The restrooms, showers and laundry faciltity were all neat and clean. We stayed from “Boom Days” through the “Leadville 100 mile Mountain Bike race” and “Leadville 100 mile Mountain Run” and are planning on returning again this year.

We have no problems recommending Sugar Loafin’ to anyone interested in being close to nature in the high country.

  • Stayed August 2010, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask eazmann about Sugar Loafin' Campground
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Phoenix, Arizona
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“You will love this place!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 July 2009

I realized this week that I've been staying at Sugar Loafin at least once each summer for the past fourteen years. I may have missed a summer or two along the way, but I've been staying there since at least 1996 when I tried my first shot at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race.

This campground is just that, my friends. A campground. NOT an RV resort like one you might find at Breckenridge. Don't expect a lot of concrete and asphalt. This place is a basic high mountain property. They have snow for 9 months of the year and it's very cold, thus hard to do a lot of maintenance before opening for the season. The spots are all roomy enough and when the rain is good the vegetation stays green and lush. Hookups are all in place and the staff is friendly and willing to help. Give this place a shot if you're wanting some high mountain kickback time.

  • Stayed July 2009, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask TommyC1 about Sugar Loafin' Campground
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Denver, CO
1 review
“Review of Sugar Loafin”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 July 2008

This campground is fantastic! Exceptionally clean--and the staff goes out of their way to make your stay memorable. Only one mile from Turquoise Lake, and a quick drive to Leadville. Terrific hiking, shopping, fishing and sightseeing nearby. The campground has a nightly Ice Cream Social--with the best ice cream around! Lots of fun to say "hello" to fellow campers. We've already booked another stay at Sugar Loafin!

Stayed July 2008
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Ask TurquioseLake about Sugar Loafin' Campground
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Texas
1 review
“Nice but tight fit”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 August 2007

Okay, we traveled there in a motorhome and the the sites were very close together which is not something we are used to, but, the staff was very very nice, the facilities and the grounds were very clean. The only other RV site with full hook ups is in the town of Leadville and I would not recommend that all. We did take a ride to the lake and there are a number of campgrounds there that are very very nice but there are no hook ups. For us, that would ahve been fine but we traveled with another couple who had a motorhome and they are in their 60's (we are in our early 40's) and they wanted to stay only at places with full hook ups. We prefer a little more space and a more "camping" expereince even though we travel now in a motorhome with all the ammenities. So, I would recommend this campground as long as you are aware that you will be close to neighbors.

  • Liked — friendly people
  • Disliked — Sites close together
  • Stayed August 2007, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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Ask km7travel about Sugar Loafin' Campground
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Additional Information about Sugar Loafin' Campground

303 Hwy 300, Leadville, CO 80461
Price range (per night):* INR278 - 333

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