Leadville Lake County Community Park
and Sports Complex

The residents of Leadville and Twin Lakes aren’t afraid of a little hard work. After four years of fundraising and volunteering, Lake County Community Park and Fairgrounds opened on August 29, 2009. Located within a Superfund site, the new park features an all-weather synthetic turf field with lights, restrooms and an adjacent playground.

The planning for this project started in 2005. Since then, volunteers have included accountants, grant writers, heavy-machine operators from Colorado Mountain College’s Ski Operations Program and the county road and bridge crew, contractors of all sorts, restaurant owners and engineering students from the Colorado School of Mines. Fundraising efforts to reach the $1.5 million needed to complete the first phase have ranged from the “Playground Penny Pot” spearheaded by first graders at Pitts Elementary School to bake sales, golf tournaments and yard sales. More than 200 Leadville, Colo.,  families have contributed over $100 a piece, and foundations, local governments and area businesses have kicked in sizable donations to help reach the goal.

The Community Park is located on McWethy Drive, just south of the Lake County Fairgrounds. Situated on top of the former Western Zinc Oxide Mill, the regulation-size field will be put to good use. More than 300 soccer players, adults and youth, will hit the turf spring, summer and fall. The Lake County Recreation Department will host a variety of outdoor sports leagues, including flag and Pop Warner football, lacrosse, and rugby. High school and middle school students are now able to practice and compete on a lighted field for the first time. Private organizations can lease the field for tournaments, camps and special events. And, most importantly, the community now has a place to gather for informal recreation.

With the highest synthetic turf field in the world, plus Leadville's proximity to world-class outdoor recreation, it is anticipated that teams from far and wide will want the opportunity to train and compete at this elevation. There is plenty of affordable lodging and restaurants nearby for tournaments and camps. And, Colorado Mountain College offers a large mountain campus with many other resources.

Contact the Lake County Recreation Department at 719-486-4142 to reserve the field or schedule a camp. Read more about the history of the park at http://www.leadvillescores.com.