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Located on the San Juan Skyway, a 236-mile loop of spectacular scenery in southwestern Colorado, Telluride is surrounded by waterfalls, national forest lands, and one of the largest concentrations of 14,000-foot peaks in North America. As a result, its a jewel of a town for nature lovers. The area is a summer favorite of Colorado Mountain biking, Colorado Camping, Telluride Hiking and Fly fishing Colorado and in the winter it turns into a telluride ski resort thats on its way to cracking national top-ten lists. One honor its doubtless already earned: The most beautiful place youll ever ski. But this kind of scenic beauty cant be found just next door -- to anything really. Snuggled in a box canyon high in the San Juan Mountain Range, Telluride is seven hours from Denver, five from Albuquerque and 65 winding mountain miles from the next major town. That town is Montrose, and its where many visitors will fly into in order to get to Telluride Colorado. Telluride does have its own airport -- the worlds second highest, actually -- but its only open commercially to commuter planes (not jets) and bad weather forces it to shut down periodically. Unlike other Colorado ski resorts, Tellurides geographical isolation means skiers and boarders cant easily hop from one mountain to another during a weeks vacation. Also unlike other Colorado ski resorts however, Tellurides geographical isolation, plus its freewheeling Wild West history, means that its a little more laid back. One example: the towns Free Box where since the 1970s people have been depositing their unwanted goods to be picked up by grateful beneficiaries somewhere down the line. In terms of lodging, activities, and attitude, the San Sophia Ridge neatly divides the area into two distinct parts: Mountain Village and Telluride itself. Mountain Village, founded in 1987, is a full-service European-style pedestrian hamlet located right on the slopes. It is home to upscale modern Telluride hotels, a number of shops and Restaurant Telluride and plenty of ski-in/ski-out accommodation. Completing the luxurious design, Mountain Village is also the site of the Telluride Golf Club. Telluride, on the other hand, is a 125-year-old former mining town and current National Historic Landmark District. A year-round community of 2,000 people, Telluride has around 50 eating establishments, a public library, and more varied lodging than its on-mountain neighbor. Historic Victorian inns, low-key hotels, practical condominiums and elegant ski-in/ski-out resorts can all be found here. One interesting note: Telluride is an independent hotel aficionados dream, as Mountain Villages Wyndham Peaks Resort is the only chain hotel in the region. The advantage of Tellurides small size is that getting around is a snap. The town is only one mile square, with downtown just two blocks from the ski slopes. Telluride and Mountain Village are linked by a free 13-minute telluride gondola ride which has been called one of the most beautiful commutes in the world. (Spring and fall visitors should know that the telluride gondola closes for a month or so during these low seasons, but is replaced by buses.) Because of its on-slope status, Mountain Villages lodging seasons mirror those at most ski areas around the country: higher rates in winter, with the peak from the third week of December to the first week of January. Summer in Mountain Village is quieter and a bit cheaper. Tellurides in-town lodging, however, has two peaks -- the holiday ski season and the summer festival season. From May to September, Telluride hosts an outrageous number of festivals both funky and famous, including the Mushroom Festival, the Jazz Celebration, and the Blues & Brews Festival. In fact, summer is so jam-packed with festivals that the locals decided to give themselves a break by declaring one weekend the Nothing Festival. Visitors planning to come to Telluride during the warmer months will have to keep an eye on the timing of events because lodging prices and availability will fluctuate accordingly. This is especially true during Junes telluride blue grass festival and the telluride film festival on Labor Day weekend, when room rates in town are likely to match those at the peak holiday ski season. However, the dates in between spring and fall festivals can yield some of the cheapest at any point during the year. |
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