Serving Up Incredible Cuisine And Views At 10,800 Feet
For 30 years, this unique dining destination has welcomed adventurers of all ages for wild game and unforgettable memories
Photo courtesy of Tim Gormley
Traveling along US Highway 24 between Leadville and Minturn, you’d be forgiven for missing the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, the meeting point for trekking up to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse, unless you knew what to look for. But for those searching for an incredibly unique dining experience in the Rocky Mountains, this is a destination worth seeking out.
For 30 years, the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse has celebrated history, culture and culinary excellence in a yurt that seats a maximum of 40 people. But as with all adventures, the journey is half of the experience.
Historical flavor
The Tennessee Pass area was pivotal during the mining boom of the 1800s (it’s named after the home state of a group of early prospectors), and railroads deemed it ripe for development in the late 19th century as it crosses the Continental Divide at a more mellow grade than other passes. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company completed the first railway across the pass in 1881 and built a tunnel about 200 feet below the pass summit with Colorado Midland Railway in 1890.
By 1896, a road over the pass was already in use. Though it was difficult for regular travel, the pass’s high altitude made it suitable for an army training base during World War II, leading to the establishment of Camp Hale on the northern side of the pass, where the 10th Mountain Division trained. A memorial dedicated to the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division can be found at the summit of the pass at the entrance to Ski Cooper. Now a part of the Camp Hale Continental Divide National Monument, the remnants of the old Camp Hale military installation are located just a short distance up Highway 24 from the pass’s summit.
Photo courtesy of Katie Coakley
It started with a picnic table
The Tennessee Pass Cookhouse actually started as a picnic table.
Ty and Roxanne Hall knew they wanted to live and work in Leadville: Roxanne grew up there, and Ty fell in love with the place—and her—after he moved from Virginia. They bought the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center in 1993, a year after they married. At the time, it was “literally just a trailer in a parking lot that had like a dozen pairs of skis and boots in it,” explains Erica Curry, general manager of the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, Cookhouse and Sleep Yurts.
The Halls created the trail network and placed a picnic table at a scenic spot with views of the Sawatch Mountains. Recreationists found the table and started asking for more seating spots; then they asked for lunches to take up there. That spot is where the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse was constructed in 1994.
Now, the yurt—complete with a deck for outdoor seating—is open for dinner seven days a week during the winter (Nov. 23-April 3) and for two lunch seatings on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer season (June 20-Sept. 29). Opening on Thanksgiving Day, the cookhouse is open through the third week of April.
Photo courtesy of Katie Coakley
Work up an appetite
One of the unique features of a meal at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse is getting there. During the winter, guests can snowshoe or cross-country ski approximately 1 mile (with 300 feet elevation gain) from the Nordic Center to the yurt. Not quite long enough to work up an appetite? There are approximately 15.5 miles of trails that vary from beginner-friendly to expert. For those who require a bit more assistance traversing to the yurt, arrangements can be made—guests in their 90s have enjoyed a meal there—but experiencing the peace and quiet of this pristine area is part of the allure.
“It’s just the ultimate way to unplug,” Curry says. “I mean, the majority of folks don’t have service out here. We do our best to keep it safe and accessible and functional, and then people can literally come up here and not have to worry about anything else.”
Once you’re ensconced in the yurt, loosen those snow pants to make room for the four-course gourmet meal that awaits. The menu changes seasonally, but the entrée selections always include wild game—look for elk, wild boar, partridge and other delicacies—along with fresh produce and locally sourced ingredients. Cocktail concoctions change seasonally as well; the wine list is curated to complement the diverse menu.
Whether you choose to enjoy the Nordic Center offerings or spend the night in one of the sleep yurts, stay for a few hours or a few days, enjoying a meal at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse is an experience that shouldn’t be missed.
East Tennessee Road, Leadville
719-486-8114
Katie Coakley is a freelance writer based in Eagle County. She’s written for a variety of local and national newspapers and magazines. She is still dreaming of the elk osso buco and the incredibly dramatic sunset she experienced at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse.
