Telluride, Colorado, The Ultimate Guide for a Summer vacation
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Telluride Colorado, one of the most iconic destinations in Colorado if not the US, has been on my list for quite some time to visit in the summer. It is off the beaten path which makes it nice in terms of crowds and feeling authentic. There aren’t too many mountain ranges that take your breath away, and the San Juans offer an experience in the summer that you’ll never forget.
What I like is the vast number of outdoor recreation and experiences there are, not just in Telluride itself, but the surrounding areas too. From waterfalls, to hiking, fly fishing, the famous in-town Gondola, and even taking a Jeep off roading, Telluride is a destination that will make you want to return again because of how stunning the beauty is.
In this post I’ll be going over where exactly is Telluride, why visit, where to stay, eat, and of course some of my favorite activities. Alright let’s do this!
Where is Telluride
Located in the south eastern part of Colorado with the nearest towns being Silverton and Ouray, Telluride is a small mountain town located in the San Juan mountain range region. Part of San Miguel county, there’s actually a commercial airport close to town known for its narrow runway, surrounded by steep cliffs.
We drove from Breckenridge driving past small towns such as Buena Vista while making our way up mountain passes such as Cottonwood. Eventually we got on highway 50 going through Montrose. One of the last towns you will pass is Ridgeway before making your way onto 145 South. This is a two lane road into Telluride going around tight turns. As you drive into town, you will have astonishing views! I listed times and distances from common areas in Colorado.
Denver: 6 hours/330 miles
Boulder: 6 hours and 15 minutes/340 miles
Durango: 2 hours/111 miles
Crested Butte: 3 hours/157 miles
Montrose: 1 hour and 20 minutes/65 miles
Where to Stay
As much as I love Telluride, it is a more expensive mountain town in Colorado and this of course includes the lodging. I used VRBO and was able to find a somewhat reasonable studio that was walkable to everything and not far from the gondola. Place was killer, great for a couple or single person. Parking was free and on the street, just needed to get a parking pass from the management company. The one nice thing is if you stay in town, you can pretty much walk to everything and won’t need to drive much.
If you don’t want to stay in town there’s also lodging options up near the resort and with the gondola running until about midnight, you’ll be able to hang out in town pretty late. Other places I would recommend staying are
Where can we camp
To be honest there aren’t many campgrounds near Telluride. There’s one right in town) which books up almost immediately when the booking window opens online) and a few just outside of town. I stayed at the Sunshine Campground for two nights on my second trip back to Telluride last summer. Showed up the morning of and there were sites available, but by the end of the night, the campground was full! Other campgrounds close to town are Alta and Mary E. Both will be first come first serve as well with Alta being dispersed camping (no restrooms or camp attendant).
What makes Telluride so special
The fact that is is located in a more remote area surrounded by the San Juan mountains is what makes this place so special and unique. The area itself has more of a community local town feel to it. Take a ride up the scenic gondola and it should make you realize that Telluride is an amazing place!
What is the town like
The town sits in a valley surrounded by San Juan mountain peaks and has an old western feel to it. There’s a main street with a handful of neighboring side streets. Like most Colorado mountain towns there will be outdoor gear stores, an angler store, along with coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and a welcome center. Before or after your adventures is a great time to walk around town and see what it’s all about!
The welcome center is a great place to pick up brochures, speak with a town local, and get some information you might not find on this blog post! I would recommend stopping through there if you have time.
Downtown Telluride is known to be an iconic spot for photos with your loved ones and family. Just ask a stranger walking by and they will be more than willing to take your photo!
What are the best restaurants
There are definitely going to be some great restaurants to eat at if you feel like treating yourself! For breakfast, my favorite place was the Butcher and Baker. Ran and operated by a longtime local, their food is sourced locally and a lot of things are made in-house. I would say they definitely have some healthy options.
Hard to miss this local bakery right in town. Baked in Telluride, is pretty expensive in my opinion, but the donuts and local pastries made daily are chef’s kiss.
For coffee we were recommended The Telluride Company from the local Fly Fishing Shop. The inside has a local artistic vibe to it, it’s different, but the coffee hit the spot before we spent a half day on the river.
My favorite place to grab a cup of joe was Cowboy Coffee right by the gondola. It’s a coffee cart with baked goods and they also recently opened their first brick and mortar location across from the post office. This is another awesome small business run by locals, so you know your dollar really supports this mountain town community!
For your first night in town, highly recommend Brown Dog Pizza! We got carryout and took it back to our studio in town and just really enjoyed hanging out and eating a few slices of pizza in all places, Telluride Colorado. Although they have traditional American Pizza, it’s their detroit style pizza that they are known for.
Brown Dog will also have Gluten Free options, as well as wings, sides, and salads.
I’m not much of a bar person, but I do like an ice cold beer from time to time after a long hike or all day adventure. For breweries I like Smugglers Union and right down the street is Stronghouse Pub, which will both have a full menu. Just outside of town will be Telluride Brewing company that will have a taproom and brewpub, with a bar-like menu.
For bars, Last Dollar Saloon and the New Sheridan would be my recommendations! Last Dollar Saloon has been around since 1978 and has a western small town feel to it while the New Sheridan has been in Telluride since 1893! After going through two different renovations the hotel today is considered a luxury hotel with a victorian style to it. Inside you will find two restaurants, a rooftop bar, and a historic bar.
We decided to have one night out at fancier restaurant and I booked a reservation at The National. Place is nice! Friendly staff, incredible food (some of the best I’ve had in Colorado), and the ambience was 10/10. Book a reservation in advance, especially peak times in the summer!
Another restaurant that I wanted to try was The Grand, located right in the heart of downtown. This will be another more expensive option that I would recommend making a reservation for. The menu is considered new American with some pretty unique cocktails. The interior of the restaurant definitely has an old century type feel to it. Check out their menu ahead of time to see what’s new for the summer season and enjoy an evening out in downtown Telluride!
What activities would you recommend
Waterfalls
Telluride is known for their waterfalls and it’s what I would recommend on your first day or afternoon once you get into town. Hike to Bridal Viel Falls. This roaring waterfall is a steep hike! If you have an AWD high clearance vehicle there will be a service road next to the parking lot that will take you to the top if you do not feel like hiking. The hike itself is 2.1 miles round trip with 859 feet of elevation gain.
The parking lot is somewhat smaller here, but we didn’t have any issues, maybe because we trekked it for golden hour. About half way up will be the first waterfall, that runs along the Bridal Veil Creek.
On the hike down we decided to take the service road to catch the mountain views along with getting to view a smaller waterfall called Lower Ingram Falls. Things I recommend bringing with you are good footwear with traction and plenty of water along with sunscreen.
The next waterfall that was right in town was Cornet Creek. There’s almost no parking nearby, so you would have to find street parking or park in one of the free town lots. But the good news is, the location to the trailhead is right in town. Not a long hike, but it is going to be steep. Only half of a mile out and back. What makes this waterfall unique is the red dirt and how close you can actually get to it. As always, respect the trail and surrounding area.
The creek that runs along the hike is an added bonus. Families with small kids, no problem, Cornet Creek Falls is a good one because it’s a safer and easier hike even though it is steep in parts.
The third waterfall trail we checked out was Bear Creek Falls. This hike will also be right in town too and accessed via the Bear Creek Trail. It’s going to the be the longest of the 3 with 4.7 miles out and back. With 1,099 feet of elevation gain, the only push I felt was towards Bear Creek Falls.
The first part will be through aspen trees and once you get about halfway, you’ll get views of the surrounding San Juan Mountains. As you hike the last part up to the fall, turn around and you’ll see 13,000 foot plus peaks such as Mt Emma, Gilpin Peak, and Dallas Peak.
Take a Jeep Tour
If you don’t mind bumpy roads and heights than this is a fun way to explore the surrounding area for the day. I went with Telluride Outside and booked a reservation ahead of time for the afternoon. The pickup was right by the Village Market in the mountain village. Andy was our guide for the afternoon who worked ski patrol in the winter and jeep tours in the summer. He had been in Telluride for over two decades! He took us to the top of Ophir Pass and ended the day at Alta Lakes (about 30 minutes from town). Both areas were beautiful.
Ophir Pass is rugged, but the terrain is like none other in Colorado. This will be a bumpy ride to the top since it is a high clearance 4 × 4 only road. Once you make it to the top, your guide will pull over for a break and you can get out, stretch, and take a few photos!
As you drive up to Alta Lakes there will be a couple old historic mining structures as most Colorado towns have some kind of mining history attached to them. You’ll also notice there’s campsites through out Alta Lakes. This is dispersed camping that is first come first serve! Make sure to pack out all trash and waste if you decide to camp up at this lake.
Take the Telluride gondola to the top of the mountain
To be honest, out of all the activities and adventures I’d have to say this was a personal favorite. And the catch is, it’s a free activity. Unlike most resorts where a chairlift ride to the top of the mountain cost money, Telluride doesn’t charge. Pretty damn cool if I say so myself. You won’t find a more scenic gondola ride in Colorado.
You can take the gondola up to the village area and check out some of the restaurants and shops or you can catch a sunset at the mid station drop off. This is the stop that overlooks the town and really most of the surrounding mountains.
During the day there will be plenty of hiking and biking trails on the resort too. Throughout the summer you’ll find concerts and events in the Village so check the calendar for the dates that you’ll be in town.
Of course, favorite part of taking the gondola, the sunset to cap off the day. The gondola will run late especially on weekends, so you don’t need to worry about making it back before dark!
Spend the day on the river and go fly fishing
Something about just being on a river in the mountains casting a reel, with the hopes of catching a fish. Although more expensive, going out with guide will improve your chances greatly of catching fish if you’re new to it. They will also help you with casting skills, handling fish properly, and just over all great information of fly fishing on a river. Remember these guides are locals and have lots of experience with fly fishing!
Since both of us had gone fly fishing before and wanted to save money we rented boots, waiters, and rods along with buying a fishing license, dry flys, and powder (gets the fly to float).
The shop we went to rent gear was Telluride Angler, connected to Telluride Outside. They were awesome, really cool staff and helpful with getting us on the river! We fished at a spot, using the Sheeps Corrals parking lot, just outside of town on the San Miguel. Very scenic, however didn’t catch anything.. Two other rivers in the area that you can fly fish are the Dolores and Uncompahgre.
The one thing we forgot to purchase at the shop was extra fly line, luckily our lines didn’t break, but it’s always good to throw some in a pocket!
Go shopping in downtown Telluride
Downtown Telluride has some great stores and it’s a nice way to take a break from adventuring. My two favorite stores were Patagonia, for most of your outdoor clothing needs, and Jagged Edge. Jagged Edge is locally owned and has just about everything needed for camping, climbing, and adventuring. A store like this really makes you feel like you are in the mountains! Staff is also friendly and knowledgable.
You’ll find stores with Telluride memorabilia as well. My girlfriend loved Hook because of all the unique home goods.
Looking for a new pair of hiking boots or camping gear? Jagged Edge has got you covered!
Walk along the San Miguel River in town
Take a relaxing stroll through town along the river, it doesn’t take much sometimes to enjoy nature. This walkway is about 4 miles and will go all the way through town and then some. We just walked a small amount of the path after dinner one night and it was so peaceful.
Hike the Jud Wiebe Memorial Trail
This will be another hike right in town with awesome views. Similar to being up at the top Gondola mid-station but in the opposite direction! So if you’re short on time I would only pick one or the other. With a 3.5 mile loop and 1,233 of elevation gain, it’s going to be challenging, but soo worth it once you make it to the overlook area.
The trailhead to this hike actually starts right where the Cornet Creek Falls starts. Parts of the trail will go through Aspens, but you’ll get plenty of opportunities too for mountain views. I recommend this hike if you don’t feel like driving anywhere far to get outside.
Jud Wiebe was a Telluride local that helped design the trail in the late 80’s, but unfortunately passed away from cancer, therefore the trail was named after him.
Hike or bike on the ski resort in the summer
There’s going to be a number of awesome trails for hiking and biking on the resort. My best advice would be to follow the trail map they provide the best as possible as some of the signage on the resort can be confusing for the average person. I ended up hiking See Forever as it was recommended by the visitor center. Follow the signage on the resort as best as you can, it is a little confusing, but I got of the mid station gondola and walked straight eventually hiking through trees and than up a wooden set of stairs next to the fence.
It helps to download Alltrails and search for See Forever. The full hike is going to be challenging and is 5.3 miles with 1,600 feet of elevation gain.
Farther hikes from Telluride
Farther from Telluride you’ll find some of the most iconic hikes in the entire country. If you have the time and are up for some stunning backdrops and alpine lakes then the below hikes are worth driving to for.
Blue Lakes
With new parking and a new reservation system for backpacking campers, Blue Lakes can still be hiked during the day. With three lakes and 2,500 feet of elevation gain a trek like this will be challenging. To stay overnight and park at this trail due to popularity you’ll have to make a reservation in advance and pack out what you packed in.
If you do plan on camping, going forward, you can only camp in designated areas with no campfires! My favorite part about this trail were the upper two lakes. If you like to fish, Blue lakes is a good spot for it as well.
The majority of this hike will be through the forest and once you see the waterfall on your left, you know that you are getting close! This is honestly one of the best hikes you can do in the state of Colorado, so make sure to use proper trail etiquette, respect others, and make a parking reservation in advance!
Ice Lakes and Island Lakes
This is another very popular full day hike about two hours from Telluride. I backpacked it and luckily there wasn’t anyone camping overnight, so I had Ice Lakes to myself in the evening. Although there isn’t a reservation requirement yet, it is probably the most popular trail I’ve been on in Colorado, so if you like having a trail yourself, this isn’t a good one.
Parking can also be a challenge, so I would advise to hike it early or later in the afternoon. Just make sure to time it so you get back to the car before it gets dark!
The entire hike itself is a 7.5 mile loop with 2,600 feet of elevation gain. So this isn’t an easy trail by any means. Your lungs will feel it in parts along with your legs. The best thing you can do is pack enough water, food, along with the proper gear to make the experience more comfortable.
Island Lake will be the first Alpine lake you will hike to. With crystal blue water, it’s hard to believe places like this exist. Don’t forget to take breaks and enjoy the scenic mountain backdrop.
I ended up not making it to Island lake until the following morning for sunrise to beat the crowds. Both of these spots are a dream if you are a photographer! I honestly wish I had stayed longer at Island Lakes as the water turns more turquoise once the sun is completely out.
Either follow the loop or go back down the way you hiked up. Watch your step as this trail can become narrow in parts. It wouldn’t hurt to have hiking poles on this one either. AllTrails is a huge help when navigating
What to Pack
Colorado weather can throw anything at you, A few things I would recommend would be..
Warmer clothing- Even in the summer temps can get cold. Bring extra layers!
Sunscreen- You’ll want to pack this and wear it everyday! You’ll be closer to the sun with the elevation gain. Sunbum is my personal favorite because it is none-greasy.
Rain Jacket-I would always have a waterproof rain jacket on you when venturing in the mountains, as rain, snow, sleet, etc can show up throughout your trip. Companies that make good jackets are Arcteryx, North Face, Black Diamond, and Fjallraven
Water bottle- Staying hydrated is a must, especially on long hikes. My go to water bottle brand is HydroFlask!
Are there Wildflowers on all of the hikes you mentioned
All of the hikes I went on did have Wildflowers, with the best month to view them being July! Both Ice and Island lakes will have a number of them right down by the lake areas. Great for aspiring or professional photographers.
That’s it for a trip to Telluride Colorado! If you’re interested in other adventure in Colorado, I recommend checking out the small town of Crested Butte. A completely different experience from Telluride, but still a lot of fun none-the-less.
