Telluride (United States)
Telluride in short
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Former mining town
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National Historic Landmark with stunning views
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Few crowds
Perched at the end of a picturesque canyon in southwestern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, Telluride has a long and colourful history. The former mining town is perhaps most notorious for having been the prior home of notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy, who settled here in the heyday of the gold rush. After a slump in the wake of the mining bust, Telluride re-invented itself as a ski resort in the 1970’s. Today, a free mountain gondola transports hordes of enthusiastic skiers and snowboarders from Telluride to the European-style Mountain Village next to the ski area.
The elegant, pedestrian-friendly Mountain Village grants easy access to the slopes and is widely acknowledged to be one of America’s most beautiful alpine villages. Further down, the town of Telluride sports Victorian-style architecture and boasts dozens of shops and restaurants and lively nightlife. A jam-packed event calendar with frequent live music keeps Telluride lively all winter long. The easiest way to get to Telluride is to fly into Denver International Airport and then transfer to a regional flight which will bring you to the Montrose-Telluride Regional Airport. From there it’s just an hour-and-a-half drive to Telluride.
Alternate activities
Telluride also offers ice skating, a historical museum, heliskiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, 10km of cross-country skiing, snow biking, backcountry tours, ice climbing, spa facilities and tours of sustainable Wagner Custom Skis factory.
Restaurants and bars
Several dozen restaurants and bars spread across Telluride and Mountain Village offer up a range of cuisine for all tastes. French restaurant Bon Vivant offers panoramic views and fancy cuisine. If you’re a fan of margaritas, then Gorrono Ranch off Chair 4 is the place to start your après-ski. For a local experience, try one (or two or three) of the beers at the Last Dollar Saloon and then move onto the Liberty for live music and DJs.
Families
Ski and snowboard lessons are available for children aged two-and-a-half and up, and there are loads of other options for your kids at Telluride such as the popular Eco Adventures or Snow Camp programs. Book a Kids’ Happy Hour or Kids’ Night Out and while they have fun doing a variety of activities, you can spend a night on the town. There are several private companies that offer childcare.