Tennessee Pass Cookhouse

We were genuinely excited for this experience, snowshoeing to a backcountry yurt for lunch with kids felt like the quintessential Colorado adventure. The good: The Nordic center is excellent with well-marked trails, and the yurt itself delivered exactly what we'd hoped for—cozy, clean, spacious, and charming. The friction: The reservation process needs streamlining. We had to call to book, then text our meal selections separately. There's no reason this couldn't be handled through an online system. More concerning, their day-of email explicitly instructs guests NOT to purchase a trail pass at the Nordic center—but the Nordic center staff had to reassure us that email was incorrect. Small details, but they created unnecessary uncertainty before we'd even started our trek. The service: This is where things fell flat. We arrived just a few minutes past our 12pm reservation (not uncommon when snowshoeing with kids), yet we watched every single table get served before us, with our food finally arriving at 12:50—despite having submitted our order seven days in advance. No acknowledgment of the wait, no small talk from staff. With a captive audience in such a unique setting, this felt like a missed opportunity to share the Cookhouse's story. We also thought desserts and sides were available, but were never offered anything. The food: Fine, but not memorable. The vegan bowl was enormous but roughly 80% arugula—"salad" would be a more accurate description. The kids' mac and cheese was quite rich. I'd still recommend the experience for the novelty and the beautiful setting, and I'd give dinner a try. The bones of something special are here, it just needs more attention to communication and hospitality to match the magic of the concept.

I stayed here at least 6 times over the years - both summer and winter. I love it. It is a unique experience for young and old. Why the 3 stars: prices are almost $400 p/night to stay in a yurt - plus dinner is $200 p/person after two drinks and a 15% tip. The yurt was quite dirty with spiderwebs and no candles. We check out at 9AM - but our luggage wasn't returned until 10:30 so we were waiting. The service was rather poor too. You are supposed to tip for service upfront - which i personally don't like to do - as I tip for service after receiving it - not upfront... Maybe this is why they treaded us poorly. This is not how it used to be - it used to be friendly, not as expensive and the yurts were better maintained. It is still a wonderful experience but for $400 p/night and $200 p/person dinner - you can also get a lot of other wonderful experiences elsewhere and I am going to explore alternatives going forward. I am sure anyone will still enjoy this.

The whole experience was terrific! The timing for serving each course was perfect. The food was mouth-watering good. I loved that a guitarist was playing in the yurt. To get to the yurt and back, make sure you go cross-country skiing instead of snowshoeing. It's so much more fun.

My husband and I used a $300 wedding gift for a dinner here, expecting a serene, high-end backcountry experience. While the 1-mile hike to the yurt was actually very pretty and enjoyable, the dinner itself was one of the most uncomfortable and poorly managed meals we’ve ever had. We were seated directly next to the door in 10-degree weather. Because the yurt was over-capacity with nearly 40 people, the door opened every few seconds, sending a freezing blast of air into the room. The space was so cramped that my husband’s chair was repeatedly kicked by other guests. I specifically asked if we could be moved, but I was told there was no other space, so we were stuck. Seats by the door simply should not exist at this price point. When I asked if it was always this loud, a staff member told me: "That’s what happens when you have dinner in the backcountry with 35 other people." We go to the backcountry to escape crowds, not to pay a premium to be trapped in a deafeningly loud room where we couldn't hear ourselves think. The entire operation was severely understaffed. After arriving, we stood around awkwardly with no direction and then, once seated, were ignored for 20 minutes before our drink order was even taken. While the staff eventually offered us a round of drinks on the house, it didn't fix the fact that we were subjected to a miserable seating arrangement and uncomfortable noise levels. Because they were spread so thin, the staff had no time to provide the level of attention you’d expect for a "luxury" experience. The courses took an incredibly long time to come out, stretching the ordeal into a two-hour experience of being cold and cramped. The appetizers and salad were quite good, but the entrees were a letdown. My husband’s bison was "fine" but not mind-blowing, and my fish was completely unseasoned and served with a confusing blueberry sauce. The most frustrating part was the bill. There are additional taxes (Land Use and Lodging Tax?!) totaling 20% that are not listed anywhere on their website. We were not staying in the sleep yurts—we were just there for dinner—so a lodging tax made absolutely no sense. This turned a $135/plate dinner into a $165/plate dinner. Paying that much for mediocre food in a chaotic environment is unacceptable. We eventually asked for our dessert to go just to escape the noise. Management reached out the next day and refunded the tax portion of our bill. While I appreciate the gesture, refunding a tax charge (which shouldn't have been charged in the first place) doesn’t make up for a ruined wedding gift. This felt like a crowded, understaffed cafeteria in the woods. Save your money.

We came for dinner and it was phenomenal. First, you check in and snowshoe up (~1 Mile,) working for your dinner. The woods at night are gorgeous, it was snowing, and all in all just a very peaceful walk. Once you arrive, there was a fire in the fire pit to welcome you. You then go inside this yurt, which is warmed by a woodstove and very cozy. Almost all of the lighting is by candle, with one little lamp in the center. It was super cozy. Then, the food. The food was so delicious. You order your main a week ahead, while the appetizers/desserts are what the chef has at the time. Everything was so tasty. After finishing our amazing meal, the much more difficult part of bending over on full bellies to strap our snowshoes back on occurred. Luckily, it was downhill from the cookhouse! We had a very pleasant walk out, returned our gear, and called it a night. Go in part for the food, but also for the experience. The entire package made this an amazing evening.

Pure magic! My partner and I recently got married at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse on 9/7/24 and it was truly the most incredible weekend. I could write 10+ pages recapping the whole weekend and explaining every detail that added to the bliss but I will do my best to keep this post short and sweet. First, the team-Mariah and Erica were the leads on helping us organize the wedding. They both spent the whole weekend assisting us and our guests and made all of our hopes and dreams come true regarding the vision for our unique wedding. By the end of it- all of my friends were raving about how well the crew at the property treated everyone- professional, warm, fun, great energy and extremely resourceful. Not only were Erica and Mariah fantastic- but every single member of the team was amazing! You can tell this team is close and that they love what they do. It felt like a true community up there. Huge shoutout to the chef and his dedicated hard work- my partner and I are huge foodies and that is one of the main reasons we chose this venue. We were blown away by every bite we took- from apps, entrees to dessert. Thank you so much! I left our wedding weekend with a full heart and so much gratitude for everyone that contributed to our special weekend. All of my friends are still gushing over "the BEST wedding they've ever been to!!". The views and location are stunning but I truly believe it is the people that make this place so special. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN. We look forward to visiting soon. - Allison and Reed Whetstone

Most of the food was excellent, especially the tomato pesto burrata appetizer, but the meat for most of our table was blood red RAW. Not rare, but raw. We had to send two dishes back twice. Half our party was uncomfortably cold. We were seated along the sides of the yurt (the cold air kept blowing in) and the staff was so busy they couldn’t keep the stove going. We even offered to feed the stove ourselves. The staff was very nice but the undercooked meat and uncomfortable temperature really put a damper on what we had hoped would be a very memorable evening for our international guests. I booked our reservations months in advance and was really looking forward to a unique experience. The hike up and down was magical, one of the very best parts of the evening. They had a very full house that night - perhaps they were understaffed or perhaps they simply booked too many people that night.

Best dining experience to date! Imagine an off grid yurt experience where you have to snow shoe or ski to get to an elevated, five course meal. We arrived right as the sun was setting, taking in the gorgeous, panoramic mountain views off the porch. We were warmly greeted by the staff. We ordered the bison and pheasant. The bison was the best steak I’ve ever had! The chef even came out to make sure we were enjoying our meal. The rosemary bean soup was to die for! The rosemary flavor was perfection. The venison shooters were also amazing. The whole meal last from 6-8:30ish. It also included dessert. We were so impressed with the entire experience that I will definitely be recommending this place to family and friends.

Food was very good - not mind blowingly amazing, but very good and no complaints. The hike in makes it a memorable experience. I will say that the hike (snowshoe) in was steeper than I expected - I'm an in-shape local who is used to altitude and it was tough! It's also worth knowing that the bathrooms up there are not heated. But, the employees were really kind and engaged. The yurt is really cool. The views are amazing. The food is good. I probably wouldn't do it a second time but I am glad I did it and recommend doing it at least once!

I'm a big fan of the Tennessee Pass Nordic center, and have always wanted to check out the Cookhouse. I finally did just that with a few friends recently. We made a day of XC skiing beforehand (dinner reservations will get you a free pass for the day, along with rentals if desired), and then we trekked up for our reservation in the evening. (Some of us switched to snowshoes for that, which were also included). Definitely make sure to allow yourself a little time to traverse, as it's a bit uphill and over a mile as I recall. (We were told to allow a half hour, but I think 40 minutes may be better depending on your method/fitness). There was a stellar view and sunset to catch, and a firepit was roaring as well. The Cookhouse itself was super cozy and intimate. The service was friendly, and the courses well timed. It's fair to say the chocolate dessert was a universal hit, and we really liked the brussel sprouts salad (though it was maybe a bit light split 5 ways). I had the elk rack, which admittedly was cut a bit unevenly (one piece thin, one thick), which led to some of it being raw. The dinner is definitely pricey, especially once drink and tax/tip are figured in; that said, you go to the Cookhouse for the experience of it all, and on that front we all agreed it was totally worth it. (It is also good to keep in mind that you're getting a nordic center pass and rental included too, so make the most of that.) p.s. In case you're wondering, there are some outhouses up top near the Cookhouse as well.

This is a gorgeous place on the planet. I'm not kidding! I've got the photos to prove it! You will be dining at 11,000 feet with a fantastic jaw-dropping view of a few 13ers & 14ers to the likes of Mt. Elbert and Massive. The idea is to hike in for dinner. Or ski in for winter. It's an easy leisurely hike through a tree-lined forest. About a mile from the Nordic Center check-in. Easy to see and follow signage. Take the snowshoe trail. The ATV that the staff uses will kick off some dirt. The food is top-notch! We had the Tomahawk. This giant of a behemoth is so tender, juicy, and so tasty! The chimichurri sauce it comes with is nice, but I didn't even use it! The tomahawk didn't come alone. It came with its very own sidekicks. This could easily feed a table of four because this feast had six-course belly-busting dishes! Come starving if you decide to order "the Hawk." They have Happy Hour on Saturdays only. From 11-2. The reason for these unique hours is in consideration of the staff who has to prep for dinner after. Perishables must be hauled up and hauled back down. It's an extra effort for the team to work here. If you decide to do a dinner and stay at the sleep yurts, you're in luck. You just added to your unique experience! The views from the yurt we stayed at have an unforgettable sight. They have about six sleep yurts. It's very comfortable. We had a great restful sleep. The queen size bed is comfortable. You will have an outhouse a few feet away. It's about another mile from the cook house to the yurts. The staff is great. Food amazing. Cookhouse and Sleep Yurt amazing! I'll do this experience all over again in a heartbeat!

Super pricey, especially considering how you need a trail pass to even get up there, but a very nice treat. My family goes once a year around the Christmas holiday, and the meal and walk up to the yurt are a valued tradition. This time, they had to move our reservation around due to a scheduling error, but they comped us a nice bottle of wine for the inconvenience. The bison burger is the classic but I've loved every dish I had.

We were super excited for the dinner based off of reviews, but sadly it was very disappointing. The ambiance and service were great, but the food was just not very good and the final bill was almost $400 (and we only had one glass of wine and a sparkling water) -The first course of bread with various spreads was absolutely fantastic - we could have eaten just this it was so tasty -Salad course was ok - fresh and pretty flavorful -The French onion soup was completely flavorless -Lamb pops were good, but didn't make much sense -Our entrees were luke warm at best and completely flavorless (we got the bison and elk) -Dessert was just three different kind of cookies in a nice Chinese take out container. They were all extremely sweet and we didn't even finish them. For this price point would have been nice to have a dessert tray with options We'd 100% recommend the yurt stay, but bring food and cook dinner in your yurt vs this dinner.

This place is out of this world even though it requires a 1.1 mile trek through the woods to reach it. Which is actually part of the charm! Also, the food is gourmet and made on site by a fabulous chef and his assistants. Last night our table feasted on elk tenderloins, lamb meat balls, pistachio pesto, and vegan baked squash, and vegan potato soup. For dessert we had dark chocolate homemade coconut truffles.

It's all about the EXPERIENCE. Forget the food. Yes, you will have a nice dinner with a nice beverage and some of the friendliest staff I've ever run into. But the EXPERIENCE is something you will long remember some 20 years henceforth. After hiking up a 2 mile mountain incline rising an additional 350 feet, you arrive at the the coziest yurt cookhouse overlooking a breakthtaking mountain range. The hike back to the Nordic center after dinner was in the dark but they give you gear like a headlamp, poles, etc. to make your trek easier. Hiking alone with my husband on top of a mountain in the dark with the light of a full moon was about as magical an experience could ever be.

We had an amazing experience here with Julie. We enjoyed cocktails and each course was fabulous. They were especially helpful with my gluten allergy. Julie brought our gluten free bread with my burrata and was very knowledgeable about each dish. I enjoyed the pheasant, the venison meatballs (made with gluten free breadcrumbs), and the soup/salad. I would highly recommend.

Always a favorite when I'm in town. The food is always good and the staff, even when completely swamped, make you feel like a regular. Definitely my go to place in Leadville.

Great good, fun atmosphere, high prices! No electricity which makes it cozy. Easy access winter or summer.

Dinner at the cookhouse was one of, if not the, most wonderful dinning experience my husband and have ever had. Every aspect of it was special. The snowshoeing in the snowy forest, the food, the wine, the acoustic music, the candle light, and the view of the stars after dinner was all just incredibly magical! We recommend the experience to everyone traveling to the Leadville area and we plan to visit again this winter!

An outstanding, memorable experience! Don't come for the food. The food was good. But nothing of note. The wine was objectively bad. The bathroom was a gross outhouse. But the whole experience was something very special, that I will treasure for years to come. First, there's a ~30 minute hike up to the cookhouse. The views are nice throughout. Once you get to the cookhouse, the trees open up, and the views are gorgeous. You'll arrive at the cookhouse just as the sun is going down, and you'll have enough time to take pictures and walk around the site. The dinner is five courses: soup, salad, meat/cheese plate, entree, and dessert. The menu is preselected. You choose your entree and that's it. The food was good. Nothing special. Don't expect much from the dinner. The seating inside the yurt was very cozy. It is lit by candlelight. The tables are close together, so it almost feels communal. It did get loud at times because the children at the table behind us were noisy but we didn't mind. When you leave the yurt, it will be nighttime. The dinner is about three hours. We happened upon a clear night, so there were bright stars all around us. The hike back down was truly spectacular. Because you're on the mountain, there is almost 0 light pollution. If you can plan your trip in advance, try to find a clear evening!

this is one of my favorite places- especially to bring out of towners. ski or snowshoe up to the yurt. delicious meal. as a tip- lunch is much more affordable if you're on a budget.

Stopped in for a late lunch around 3 in the afternoon. They were not busy and the waitress informed us right away they had ran out of meatloaf. This wasn't a deal breaker. I had the New York strip steak with garlic mashed potatoes and fried Brussel sprouts Husband had a Buffalo burger with homemade tortilla chips. Portion sizes were filling and we enjoyed the visit. Husband said he wished he would have opted for fries instead of tortilla chips.

Extremely nice staff. Very thankful to them for going above and beyond. You can tell the meals are made from the heart. Thank you to all the staff at Tennessee Pass Cookout.

My time in Leadville and at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse property was MAGICAL! I arrived there with my three best girlfriends and our male counterparts, the view and land was absolutely stunning, I was blown away. Erica was and is my ascended kind of a guide of vibe, she blows me away with her hospitality specialties, and intuitive compass for a damn near wonderful time of life. We ate like kings and queens, the cabins were so cozy and the spirit of the land comes through into the yurts... I truly had such a magical night with my nearest and dearest... I will never forget it. You should go to here.

I've been to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse a handful of times, and each time I go back I find something new to fall in love with. My most recent trip was about 2 weeks ago, and I am still thinking about that dinner... mainly the pie. Ok, and the prosciutto wrapped pear appetizers. And the pheasant. And the mashed potatoes. And the wine! We were running late on a Friday night with mountain traffic, but the crew was waiting for us with smiling faces and helped us with our bags. We made it to the cookhouse right before the sun went down, and as soon as we sat down at our table we were serenaded by a gorgeous guitar, a harmonica, and a beautiful voice. The one-man-live-music was definitely the highlight of the dinner, along with the good company by candlelight. The chef came out closer to dessert, stopped at our table, and had a great conversation. We could tell that a lot of innovation, passion, and love went into each dish, and that the waitstaff honestly cared about our experience throughout the whole evening. If you have the opportunity to stay in a sleep yurt after dinner I highly recommend it. The walk from the cookhouse to the sleep yurts is short, and was brightly lit by the almost full moon. The yurt already had a fire going - it was a great way to get away, relax, and start a weekend after a hectic work week. Can't wait to go back!

After snowshoeing all day on the various groomed and ungroomed trails, my boyfriend and I enjoyed a late lunch at the Cookhouse. Only 30-40 people would be able to fit in the space - it's quaint with friendly servers and eclectic tables. The lunch menu is decently priced and has a variety of options for vegetarians and carnivores alike. The portobello burger was surprisingly tasty and well done. The bison burger was a bit over cooked from preference stated but no biggie. The potato and veggie sides were great. A nice change from fries or salad. Overall an amazing experience! The snowshoeing is great fun followed by a delicious lunch!

In the past we have had an excellent experience here and a romantic and intimate dinner but this visit was not good. First, I have to say the food was excellent and the experience should have been great but the management scheduled a private party of 18 during our visit and along with four tables with "regular diners". What should have been a quiet fine dining experience was instead turned into a TGI Friday atmosphere. (We won't eat at TGI Friday's!)The party of 18 milled about the room with their rear ends up against our table while they had cocktails--further postponing our meal since in the yurt all diners must wait for the last to arrive to begin eating. The party of 18 was so loud we could not carry on a conversation and they made it difficult to enjoy our food. This atmosphere and small of a place should never have more than 8 people at one table for the experience to be positive for the other diners. If there will be a larger party that party should rent out the entire yurt for their group. Obviously, a party of 18 in a 30' one room yurt is not intimate fine dining for the other diners. As we spoke with the wait staff the group began singing. We couldn't wait to get out of there! The wait staff and the chef were all great and apologetic about the noise/atmosphere but with the scheduling by the management there was little they could do. The management was supposed to contact us about this and we have yet to hear from them. The yurt is wonderful and had the management contacted us to warn us we would be joining a large group of 18 people we would have opted out and chosen to dine in our yurt. 18 people at separate tables is far different that a party of 18 in volume and behavior. Anyone who has ever been to any restaurant can attest to that! In the future if this is their way of scheduling I can not recommend this restaurant as I have been since it was not a good dining experience.

Are you kidding me? First I get a gorgeous hike, then I get wonderful food with local ingredients, and on top of that I get to eat in a YURT?!?!? Heck yes, sign me up. Tennessee Pass Cookhouse is legit, people. And it's awesome. We had the absolute best time here. I mean, it's a yurt. On top of a mountain. How many times will you have THAT experience in your lifetime? Go here if you are anywhere NEAR Leadville. The atmosphere is wonderful. It's like stepping back in time -- a pot-bellied stove heats the room, the tables are rustic wood, light comes from candles. Rows and rows of pottery mugs line the walls, each one with a primitive line painting of the cookhouse. Treat yourself to one; it is a fantastic souvenir. I use mine at work so when I make my coffee each morning I'm reminded of the great meal and experience I had at Tenneessee Pass! You might think that TP is all about the experience, and the yurt (the yurt !), and that the food might not be all that. It is. It's all local -- elk, Colorado lamb, salmon. It's prepared wonderfully, seasoned perfectly, and creative. So, so happy to have heard about this place and to have been able to enjoy some time here. Oh, some things to know: if you can't do the hike, they'll take you up by vehicle. You must make reservations ahead of time, and give them your meal selection when you do. There is only one seating per day. AND IT'S A YURT!

My boyfriend planned an overnight stay at Tennessee Pass Yurts for Christmas. We had no idea what to expect but we blown away by this experience. The wonderful/helpful staff and beautiful landscape made it an unforgettable experience in the peaceful mountainside. We loved the "Belvedere" yurt. Snowshoeing was a ton of fun as well- especially at night to see the stars. Would definitely recommend a night spent at Tennessee Pass! Only wish we could have gotten reservations to try the Cookhouse for dinner! However, the yurt was stocked with plenty of kitchen supplies to cook our own backcountry meal :) Thanks again!

We spent a night in the Polar Bear yurt while in Colorado for Thanksgiving. We had hoped to ski in but there wasn't enough snow so we had a pleasant hike instead. Amit brought our bags to the yurt for us. The yurt was amazing! They thought of everything! There were treats on our pillows, a jar of earplugs, a stack of firewood, a Scrabble game, headlamps, down booties and hot beverage mixes. I care about cleanliness and this yurt passed the test. We settled in and sipped wine while the fire warmed up the place. We hiked to the cookhouse yurt for dinner and had a fun, delicious meal. This was one of those experiences I will talk about and reflect on for years. I cannot recommend it enough. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, too. Top notch.

We hiked to the Tennessee Pass cookhouse yesterday morning for brunch and absolutely loved it. The views from the deck are spectacular; service warm and friendly; food was excellent. The menu includes interesting items such as the eggs Benedict with slow cooked elk--yummy--which 3 of us had and all agreed was delish. Each entree came with a fresh salad and potatoes; preceded by fresh fruit and homemade banana bread and mimosas!! We're planning on a return feast!

The Tennessee Pass Cookhouse is awesome! We went here on a summer trip following a recommendation from a colleague. My wife and I went on our fifth anniversary. We were staying in Leadville, and drove about 15 minutes up US-24 to the Nordic center. We checked in and the man showed us the trail to take to the cookhouse. In the summer, it's about a 1 mile hike up to the cookhouse, and takes about 30 minutes. In the winter they give snowshoes or cross country skies. The cookhouse itself is a large yurt in the middle of forest, with gorgeous views out west. The yurt was fitted out with seating for 20-25 people, and they size the tables ahead of time based on your reservation. We had a wonderful table for the two of us right next to a window to watch the sunset. They have a good selection of wines and beers from a local brewery. We opted to split a wine bottle from a winery out of Palisade. It's a four course meal that leaves you well stuffed at the end. You get a choice of entree, but everything else is at the whim of the chef. I had the stuffed trout and my wife had the elk. Both were absolutely delicious. My only wish is that the peach cobbler for dessert was a little better. Everything else was great. After dinner and before dessert, everyone hopped outside to take some pictures and watch the gorgeous sunset. The mile hike back from the yurt to our car was a good thing and allowed us to work off some of the calories of an excellent meal. A great experience.

This was a spur of the moment pick. But it turned out to be excellent. Lots of good food!! Before we left was standing room only. Staff the best. Attentive and over the top.

My three kids and I spent an awesome day skiing at Ski Cooper and then, instead of driving 45 minutes to some generic hotel, went in to the yurts at Tennessee Pass. The kids and the luggage got a snowmobile ride in, and I got to ski a beautiful mile in the backcountry as the sun was setting. The yurt was warm, cozy, and well appointed. We unpacked and relaxed a bit, and then walked 100 yards to one of the most amazing dining experiences of my life - the Cookhouse. Picture a round room with a peaked roof. A big wood stove burns in the corner. A beautiful bar is on the left. There are tables of two to eight healthy diners sipping wine, sampling hors d'oeuvres. The staff is friendly, attentive but authentic and human. The restaurant is as fancy as a backcountry yurt should be, and not a bit more. This scene, unfortunately, was interrupted by my 7 year old son getting violently sick on the porch. The yurt sits at 11,000 feet above sea level, and we had arrived only the night before from Boston - not enough time to acclimatize. The staff and the guests were incredibly understanding. They had an oxygen tank set up for exactly this situation. Within ten minutes, my boy got his color back and felt a lot better. I left the twins alone for dinner, walked the youngest back to bed, and then returned to the cookhouse. The staff had wrapped up dinner in a beautiful basket, so we had dinner in bed by the fire last night. The salmon and the venison were incredible. The care that the Cookhouse team put into salvaging our experience was over the top. The next morning, as we all departed via snowmobile and foot, the owner extended himself so graciously to us, apologized for the effects of the altitude (not his fault!) and gave us a warm goodbye. Our experience at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse, even with the adventurous elements, was one of our best family vacations. If you are up for a new, beautiful experience, I highly recommend a night or two in the yurts.

Really great chicken wings! Perfectly cooked burger for hubby! Had our dogs so sat outside. Great wait staff!

Let me just say what an amazing night I had venturing to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse for my mom's birthday dinner. Everything about it was wonderful. Half of my group went with snowshoes, half went with cross country skis. Despite it being very cold that night and the route mostly up hill, it was a great trek through the woods to the cookhouse a mile out. The cookhouse was surprisingly cozy and warm. It was also very intimate, with only about 10 tables available for dining. Everything on the menu sounded delicious (you place your order in advance). Half of us went with the elk medallions and the other two had the stuffed pheasant and vegetarian dish (baked risotto cakes). Every one of us licked our plates clean the food was that good. I had low expectations because their cooking resources are a bit limited in a remote yurt that acted as their gourmet kitchen. Other courses were really good two and included an appetizer platter with various bites (fruit, boar sausage, crustinis, mozzarella-tomato skewers), soup or salad, and strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert. I wasn't going to have dessert because I don't normally like pie and I was so full, but I actually ate most of it it was that good. For drinks, there's a nice selection of wines, craft beers and specialty cocktails. Oddly, however, they didn't have a simple spirit like vodka. It seemed they had other randoms spirits, but not the basic vodka. Although the route back was mostly downhill, it was a bit difficult on a full stomach and two bottles of wine. Not ideal but good to burn off some of the calories, I suppose. Even though we had one of the most spectacular experiences, I subtracted a star due to the service that left something to be desired. When we checked in, no one showed us where to go or helped us get set up with skis (it was my first time!). Because of that, our three pairs of skis did not get matched up with the proper users: I ended up with my tall brother-in-law's poles and my short sister's skis. We had to stop halfway and trade so we were equipped appropriately. And when we walked in the yurt, no one greeted us or showed us where to sit. We just saw a table that looked big enough and sat at it. Our waiter was very friendly, but we just didn't see him a lot. There weren't many tables to wait on and there was plenty of other staff, so I was just surprised that service wasn't better. Regardless, I'd definitely go back. And all-in-all it was an amazing time that I'll definitely remember and recommend to anyone.

We recently had our wedding ceremony at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center in the field next to the main cookhouse, with our reception next door at Ski Cooper's Lodge. Erica and the staff at Tennessee Pass were wonderful hosts for our ceremony. Even though our ceremony was in the field they made the entire Nordic Center available for us to get ready, to hang out and to set up. They provided us with coffee and beer at our leisure and made certain that we had access to the Nordic Center throughout the day. Erica was a wonderful and attentive host and they helped with anything we needed throughout the day. I could not have asked for a more beautiful or perfect place for our best day ever and I am so thankful for Tennessee Pass, Erica and the rest of the staff!!

The whole experience is a must do if you enjoy the outdoor semi-seclusion. We got there an hour early and snow shoe the side trail. Arrived during sunset. It was gorgeous! Food was surprisingly delicious.

Went here for a dinner in the winter of '09. It was and continues to be the best dining experience I've ever enjoyed. Over a year later I still fondly recall each course and every detail. Dinner is $75 per person, this doesn't include tip or drinks. Most expensive meal I've ever had, but it was well worth every penny! I made the reservation a week ahead, at the time of the reservation I put in our orders. We parked in the Ski Cooper parking lot and checked in the Nordic Center. There we had the choice of snow shoes or cross country skis (rental fee is included in the dinner price tag). My boyfriend and I chose skis and enjoyed the 1 mile adventure to the cookhouse yurt. It was a gentle incline, after being in Colorado for the ski season I fared well. However, my boyfriend from Minnesota, struggled a little bit due to the elevation. When we arrived to the deck outside the yurt, we enjoyed the sunset over the rocky mountain horizon with a glass of wine. We snapped a couple of pictures and soaked in the setting. After the sunset the yurt doors were opened to guests. The ambiance was romantic, rustic, and charming. They said they can seat up to 30 guests, but I would say there were maybe 15-20 people at the most. There was a cheese and fruit plate appetizer and salad. My boyfriend ordered the rack of lamb and I got the Elk tenderloin, we shared our entrees and both were AMAZING. For dessert we had a simple yet wonderful slice of apple pie. We were warm, fuzzy, and full at the end of the meal until we remembered we still had to ski back down to the nordic center. The waitress gave us a quick how-to-stop lesson and then off we went on our skinny skis and head lamps illuminating against the starry sky. We laughed and enjoyed the ride down (even though we ended up taking our skis off half way down). I'm grinning with recalling this memorable dinner adventure, I HIGHLY recommend! I would encourage couples to arrive early in order to take advantage of the skiing/snowshoes/hiking and the deck before dinner.

Went here Jan 2015, a few work friends and I booked dinner and stayed overnight in a ski yurt. The cookhouse yurt is awesome and has amazing views. You are given the menu when you book the dinner and order in advance. It is $85 a person and doesn't include any booze, tax, or tip. Very expensive. Pros: The food. First you get a small appetizer platter to share, and choice between salad or soup. They had an African Sweet Potatoes soup when I was there and it was amazing. Then you are given your main dish which you chose in advance. I had the Colorado Rack of Lamb which was incredible. Really A++. Dessert was some type of pie. So you get a 4-course meal for $85. Mine came out to $102 after just tax and tip. Pretty damn expensive but maybe worth it for a special occasion. Cons: The service. We got there about 15min early for a 6:00PM dinner. We got our appetizer around 6:45PM, our Soup around 7:30PM, our main dish around 8:30PM, and dessert around 9:15PM. After begging our waitress to bring us our check right away we left at 9:30. After all that we spent about 4 hours in a hot and steamy yurt with 20+ other people and ate our meal at a snails pace. I'm all about enjoying each others company but not for 4 hours. Maybe 2 or 3. Anyway overall, the food was great, but service was meh. Not likely to dine again.

I would NEVER go here. I just got off the phone with a woman named Erica and she was so rude and unhelpful. While the experience sounds awesome I would never support a place that has such terrible staff. I intend to inform everyone I know NOT to go here based on my experience with Erica alone. Hubby in the travel business and unfortunately this just moved down to the bottom his company's list of recommendations. There are plenty of unique experiences in our great state and we intend to support establishments that actually want guests.

Great food, service and atmosphere. The Shepards Pir was fantastic. After a long day on the mountain skiing this is a great place to escape, enjoy a drink/dinner and relax. I would highly recommend...

An absolutely outstanding experience! We watched the sun set as we snow shoed an easy mile on a beautiful path, then enjoyed a glass of wine outdoors around a fire once we arrived at the yurt. We then moved inside to a beautifully decorated dining area. The staff was attentive and friendly, but the food was the best part! I had the trout and it was the best I have ever eaten. My friend ordered the lamb, which was also delicious. The chocolate & raspberry dessert was to die for! The snow shoe walk back after dinner was under a star-filled sky that rounded out a perfect evening. We will absolutely return!!

After a long day of snowmobiles we stumbled across this place on a recommendation. The staff was nice, they were a little busy and spread thin. The food and the great personalities more than made up for it! Defiantly worth a stop in! Hint- The meatloaf is AMAZING!

My girlfriend had seen the Cookhouse on a trip to Ski Cooper and had been dying to try it out. She has a thing for yurts... go figure. It was her birthday last weekend so I made a reservation for dinner and also for a night in one of the sleep yurts. I was a little reluctant based on the price, but sometimes you've gotta spend some cash to make the girlfriend happy! We arrived to check in and were immediately impressed with the friendliness of the staff. And not the forced/fake kind... these people seemed seriously happy to be helping us! This genuinely friendliness continued throughout our stay, from check-in, to dinner, to the people that hauled our bags to the yurt, to the owners who helped us pick out handmade mugs at the end of our trip. I don't usually buy souvenirs, but the mugs were really cool and I wanted to remember this place!! The XC skiing was great, with well groomed and marked trails and incredible views. The yurt was perfect, with a nice warm fire burning when we arrived and super comfy bedding to stay toasty at night. Seriously, we're now researching the purchase of our own yurt, that's the effect this place had on us! And the dinner was incredible. Everyone (staff and guests) were happy and enjoying the sunset and the atmosphere. We both had grilled elk tenderloin, which was delicious, and neither of us was hungry until about 5PM the next afternoon, despite the 6+ miles of skiing. After we checked out and started to drive home, my girlfriend couldn't stop talking about how great the weekend was. She even threw around the phrase "best birthday weekend ever"... SCORE!!! So in the end, even though this wasn't a cheap experience, it was well worth it, and we'll be back for more yurt adventures and skiing.

Long story short: my wife and I stayed with some friends in one of the yurts overnight. We loved it. Our dinner at the Cookhouse though: meh. Just so you know: you place your order a week or so in advance because the Cookhouse doesn't have much room to store food for an a la carte style menu. That's fine. Charming, even. But knowing exactly what everyone has ordered ahead of time means that your game should be on, especially at $85/person. A captive audience eating inside a fancy tent in the woods a mile from the nearest parking lot doesn't mean that you can cut corners. Even though there is no internet access, we humans have memories and will internet later if we are even slightly smoted. You ski, snowshoe or hike in to the Cookhouse. That's pretty cool. In a non-hunter/gatherer society this is about as close as we get to working for our meals anymore. I am okay with that. The Cookhouse yurt is charming and the dining area is well-heated in the height of winter by a beast of a pot-belly wood burning oven. There is one seating at six pm and the room filled up with about 30 people. Only a two top was left unpeopled. We ordered a bottle of Malbec wine and it was subpar. One dimensional and dull. First course was a shared app plate with enough fig crostini, sliced sausage, fruit and a corn-niblet sized piece of cheese for all of of us. Presentation was amateurish and crowded the plate. (Please don't slice strawberries like that and batonnet a pineapple and think that it is interesting.) Second course was a choice of tortilla soup (which seemed terribly out of place with regard to the rest of the somewhat American menu) or an arugula/kale/candied pecan/goat cheese with maple-something vinaigrette salad. I was sad/bored when I then saw the described salad being delivered to another table on a comically undersized plate while our server asked me for my choice so I ordered the soup hoping for less boredom. Turns out I would be bored either way. My tortilla soup came in a diner-type bowl and didn't even have the decency to have a garnish of crushed tortilla chips or cilantro or some bullshit Mexi-crema squeeze-bottled over the top. It didn't taste like it had any tortilla in it, but otherwise, the flavor was pretty good Third course. There is only one vegetable side for all the entrees: sauteed baby carrots and haricots verts. The haricots verts had been under par-boiled before service so that they weren't texturally correct after being sauteed. To the chef's credit, though, much effort had been spent making sure that each carrot was separated from each bean on the plate, boy-girl-boy-girl fashion. If you ordered lamb chops, it came with mashed potatoes. If you ordered elk, you got mashed potatoes,too. If you ordered salmon, you got a rice blend. Temps were right on around the table, but the extruded collagen on the salmon had not been thoughtfully removed. The whatever-berries that came with the elk were not incorporated into the sauce. It wasn't even a sauce, really, just berries macerated with wine (maybe?) and a mild sweetener, then heated and placed next to the elk slices and allowed to thinly and unattractively juice all over the plate. The lamb...the lamb was pretty good, but not very lamby in flavor. That's not the chef's fault, though. Fourth course: Strawberry-rhubard pie. Excellent execution on this. Flaky crust with a properly sweet, slightly tart filling and a piping of correctly sweetened whipped cream. Clean plate club for all of us on this course, unlike all the others. A pedestrian but well made dessert that shined above all the other phony nonsense we were served. Overall: not too great. I would stay in the yurt again, but I'll skip the Cookhouse. The cooks/chef need a course in plate presentation and continuity. These are teachable things but if you can't do fancy, don't charge fancy prices. I know you have to snow mobile everything in, but that's not a justifiable excuse for the prices. Your food cost should hover around 30% not 20%. (You know what I'm talking about here, chef.) Chef: If your boss is making you charge these prices, then continue to do the best you can. I can see and taste that you have some solid skills but that you just need some focusing. For the interim, just think about each meal as a whole rather than a series of unrelated courses. Boss: I know that you are booked every night and that's a good thing for your bottom line, but you won't be filling those seats forever if you keep this up. Your restaurant is in the woods, for crissake. Keep it woodsy, simple, clean and smart. If you do that you won't go wrong.

Fabulous dinner! Everyone was so friendly, the view is amazing, and the food was great! Would highly recommend this as a splurge dinner. It's an experience! Bonus to stay in one of the sleep hurts- they're cozy and awesome for "glamping" with some comforts of modern society but also the feeling of being away from it all :)

Im sure the altitude has something to do with it all. Having to hike to dinner seemed quaint until the first 20 steps winded me. The people I was with had already acclimated so I was trying to use one word answers and focus on hauling my lead legs up the hill. I was hungry. I had the elk. De-LISH! My son had the lamb so I pointed out something odd at the top of the Yurt and stole one of his! My husband had the trout which I think was the most recently cooked and still really hot.Yummy! I poached some of his too. Do this. Try it all. No one in our party had the bird dish... I think we are all afraid of small bird bones. The sides..potato deliciousness and blueberry something tasty! Peach Cobbler for desert. I made a decision early to abandon my gluten free diet for the evening and suffer the consequences. I think it was worth it all. Its pricey but unique dining experience and very delicious...or like I said...maybe it was all due to the altitude. P.S You have to be ok with walking to the Outhouse...

We had a great dinner, stuffed rainbow trout with asparagus and strawberry-rhubarb pie. Beautiful views and great staff. Can't wait to get back and stay in the yurts, looks like fun.

I don't think I can say amazing enough. This dining experience is truly unique. I chose to hike to the yurt on a beautiful trail that lead to an open clearing where the yurt was nestled on the edge of the forest. The views of the continental divide and neighboring valleys are mouth-dropping. Gorgeous sunset! I chose to have the elk tenderloin and the flavor was better than any beef I have ever had. For summer you can hike or get a ride and in winter you can cross-country ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile in. This venue is a must see/do.

If you are in Leadville you have to experience the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse. Truly a beautiful and unique experience. First a beautiful mile long ski or snowshoe through the woods in the dark just after a beautiful sunset. Then drinks while standing around a campfire with Mt Elbert and Mt Massive in the background, bathed in the last bit of glow from the setting sun. Next a beautifully lighted and warm yurt with no more than 40 diners. We had stuffed pheasant and elk and finished every bit of all 4 courses. Service is slow and measured but who wants to rush when the setting and food is so fantastic. Finally a beautiful walk back home under the milky way.

Drive 20-30 minutes from I-70 to Tennessee Pass, grab a coffee at the Nordic Center, then hike a mile or so to a small Yurt style restaurant. My brother and I surprised our parents for their birthday, it was one of my favorite dinners of all time with the family. Make sure to bring a camera to take pix before dinner...incredible views. I also recommend a down jacket, hat, and gloves....the walk after dinner is crisp and enjoyable if you have the right gear on.

Trekking a little over a mile in snowshoes in the middle of a whiteout blizzard in the dark (headlights) w/temps in teens only to have the clouds float the flakes away revealing God's beautiful sky full of bright stars and a sliver of a moon shining on us was a 15 star experience!!!! Finally reaching the warm cozy and very comfortable yurt for a lovely dinner was another 15 star experience. The chef prepared plates w/a choice of chicken elk lamb salmon or veggie was oohhhh and awhhhhhdddd by all. My fav was the delicious apps, and rhubarb pie!!!! The servers were true servers - not minding we (22 of us) were late for dinner do to the major blizzard causing several to miss the ski cooper turn-off and drive all the way to climax!!! Wonderful CO adventure!!!!

This is the first Yelp review I have written, but my coworkers and I were so taken with this place that I have decided to make the extra effort, join Yelp and Compose a rave review. That alone should be enough. We were in Vail for an IT conference just last week. We stumbled upon this place, expecting passable food, and found the best meal any of us have had in recent memory! The meal, service, amazing presentation and atmosphere are worth the drive. What a surprise! A hidden gem! Might seat only 20 people in this little mom and pop rustic place, but they have a GENIUS in the kitchen!

The food is outstanding. We spent the night in one of the yurts and it was a great experience. The staff is friendly and extremely helpful.

What a great experience! The hike up to the cookhouse was beautiful at sunset and the food was excellent! I reAlly enjoyed my experience here....

Such a special and memorable place to go for vacationers as well as Coloradans. Tennessee Pass Cookhouse has the rustic, scenic Colorado charm and serves fresh and delicious food- especially the cookie for dessert!

After researching available restaurants near Leadville, we HAD to go here, and I am so glad we did! Great 1 mile hike (wear good shoes and take layers). About a 300 ft climb, but felt like more since we live at lower elevation. Beautiful views, clean outhouse, and very unique. We walked back in the dark and it was drizzling, but we were prepared, so it was fun :) They provide miners lights, so that was a highlight for my kids. I was not quite prepared for the total price, tho, so just know what you are getting into. After dinner for 2 adults, a bottle of wine, and tip, it was $240. Pretty pricey, but so worth it!! Aps outside while the weather was still great, salad & dinner by sunset then dessert by candlelight. So now, about that food... oh the food... EVERYTHING was amazing, but my favorite was by far the elk tenderloin, it melted in your mouth. The service was outstanding! Very friendly, on top of anything you need before you asked for it. Highly recommend this!