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)
