Telluride, Colorado: A First-Timer's Guide

Where Telluride is

Telluride sits at 8,750 feet in a box canyon at the end of the San Miguel River, in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. The town is small, about twelve blocks long, and the canyon walls rise so steeply on three sides that the last of the evening sun leaves Main Street early. Bridal Veil Falls drops 365 feet at the head of the canyon, and above it the old mining roads climb to Imogene, Black Bear and Ophir passes.

Mountain Village, the resort side of the valley, is linked to Telluride by a free gondola that runs from morning until late evening. That gondola is the easiest way to move between the two, and it is one of the things that makes Telluride unusual among Colorado mountain towns.

How to get to Telluride

• By air: Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) is the closest field, about ten minutes from town. Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ) is the larger regional option, roughly 65 miles by road.
• From the north: Most drivers come in on Highway 145 through Placerville and Sawpit, or from Ridgway and Ouray via Highway 62.
• From the south: Highway 145 runs up from Cortez and Dolores through the San Juan Skyway.
• Around town: Telluride is walkable, and the gondola connects town with Mountain Village for free.

What to do in Telluride

Most first-time visitors spend the first day on foot: Main Street, the Telluride Historical Museum in the old hospital, the courthouse and the gondola up to Mountain Village. The second day is usually when people look up at the canyon walls and wonder how to get up there. That is where a Jeep tour comes in.

In summer, Telluride runs a busy festival calendar, from bluegrass to film, and the hiking and mountain biking are some of the best in Colorado. In winter, the ski area draws visitors from around the world, and the town stays small and walkable. Spring and fall are quiet, with aspen gold in late September and early October.

When the passes open

The high passes above Telluride open when the snow clears, usually in late June or early July, and stay open into the fall. Summer is the season for Imogene, Black Bear and Ophir, with wildflowers in July and August. The aspen turn in mid-September, and Last Dollar Road is at its best then. Call us before your trip and we will tell you what is open and what is blooming.

Where our tours start

Telluride Offroad Adventures picks up at your door anywhere in the Town of Telluride, whether you are staying in a hotel on Main Street, a condo in the east end or a rental near the gondola. Guests staying in Mountain Village meet us at the gondola base terminal in Telluride. Full-day tours start in Ouray or Silverton.

Telluride compared with other mountain towns

If you are still choosing between Telluride, Aspen, Vail, Durango and Ouray, our mountain town comparison lays out elevation, drive times and what each town does best. Telluride is smaller and steeper than most, with the high passes right above town, which is why the off-roading here is so good.