If you are dreaming of a remote, Rocky Mountain getaway set high in the mountains, then Telluride might be calling to you. Telluride is an amazing mountain escape that is really made up of two destinations in one – Downtown Telluride and Mountain Village. Both are full of fun things to do, so we will walk you through some of them (with an outdoor flair of course) during the Winter months.
Skiing & On Mountain
Telluride is a world-class ski resort, packed with 148 challenging trails, 2,000+ skiable acres, on-mountain dining with 360 views, convenient (& free) transportation, and more! Epic Pass members have access 7 days per year at the resort, and it is absolutely worth the trip. Our visit to Telluride was mainly for the skiing – so we are kicking off our guide with this.
The reason we did not break skiing out to Downtown Telluride or Mountain Village is because the ski mountain is accessible from both. Let’s start with Mountain Village. The base of the ski resort is Mountain Village. Here there are gorgeous hotels, restaurants and shops, along with gondolas and lifts that take you to various points throughout the ski mountain. From the base, you can take lifts up and out without ever having to really return to base, which helps avoid crowds and leads to a fun day exploring the terrain. The Mountain Village lifts open at 9am daily.
You can also start your ski day from Downtown Telluride. First, the free gondola, which opens at a startling 6:30am begins at South Oak Street, then whisks you up and over the mountain. You can hop off midway at San Sophia Station or stay on to head down the other side to Mountain Village base. If you are in the mood for some early morning fresh air, there are also two ski lifts from Downtown Telluride– Lift 7 and Oak Street Lifts – which take you over the first crest to San Sophia Station. From there, you can ski right down to the Mountain Village base lifts.
Now the mountain is full of diverse terrain, ranging from fun & fast corduroy trails to challenging, steep, ungroomed trails, to hike-to terrain that is still inbounds. The most scenic trail with the best views is a Blue run called See Forever that is accessed at the top of Gold Hill Express lift and follows along the ridge for a while, providing epic scenery. Prospect Bowl is a fun area with some hike-to Black Diamond runs, a few groomed and non-groomed Blue runs, and the Green run Galloping Goose which is the longest trail on the mountain, 4.6 miles. Revelation is another bowl off the back of the peak that is an awesome challenge, but unfortunately had thin cover while we were there.
And we all know skiing all day at high altitude can be pretty draining. Telluride has the best “rest stops” of any mountain we have skied so far. There are five on-mountain dining/lodge options that have amazing outdoor seating, perfect views of the surrounding mountains, and just all around good vibes:
- Bon Vivant – bougie, beautiful, and oh so wonderful. At 11,000 feet in elevation, take your pick from sitting on the deck -which has a huge umbrella, cute café tables, and waitress service – or grab your refreshments “to go” from the bar and grab one of the adorable lounge seats right in the snow. We opted for snow to-go and it did not disappoint. Champagne cheers with these views – name a better way to take a quick break from skiing.
- Alpino Vino – picture this: Italian food and wine… al fresco… at 12,000 feet. Kick off your skis (or board) and walk up to the host who will hand you sunglasses, sunscreen, and a wine list 2 pages long before seating you at your slope-side table. Yes please.
- Gorrono’s- Bon Vivant and Alpino Vino are classy and gorg, but Gorrono’s is the fun, can’t-miss, party atmosphere with local, craft beers, live music, and ample seating all outdoors. It’s located right under the Village Express lift. Even better – we were hanging here mid-day having a Telluride Brewing beer, and a guy had a whole tuning area set up – we got our skis waxed and sharpened while we finished our drinks then headed out for an epic afternoon on the slopes.
Mountain Village
After skiing all day, Mountain Village is a great place to unwind. The village has different hotels and lodging options, many restaurants, cute shops, and more – but we are Away and OUTSIDE so we will be focusing mainly on our outdoor favorites:
- Timber Room Après Ski. The Timber Room is located at the bottom of the Madeleine hotel. Outside the restaurant, they have amazing tables set up with blankets, fire pits, and waitress service available. We snagged a fire pit table and ordered some hot mulled wine to warm up after our day on skis and it was perfect.
Credit: Timber Room - The Village Skating Rink- right in the middle of the village is a cute skating rink. There is a huge fire pit and some other cute seating surrounding the rink if watching is more your speed.
- Telluride Brewing – local beers with a low-key, fun atmosphere. Stay and hang in the brewery or grab a can and head out across the path to the gondola cars outfitted with tables for some private, outside space! Our favorite beer was the See Forever Hazy Ale.
Downtown Telluride
We stayed in Downtown Telluride in a perfect AirBNB. If you are looking for a more local vibe rather than a resort-style stay, definitely opt for Downtown. Our condo at Double Diamond was 10 steps from the Coonskin lift, so was essentially a ski-in,ski-out. There is a free shuttle that loops around town every 15 minutes, making it so convenient to get around. Here are some of our favorite outdoor Downtown spots:
- River Walk – this snow-covered trail along the river provided gorgeous morning views and a chance for us to get acclimated to the altitude.
- Coffee Cowboy- delicious coffee and lattes served out of a cute, green airstream trailer – what a perfect way to start the day. Our tip – grab a coffee then take it on your River Walk.
- Stroll down Colorado Ave, aka Main Street – take a walk through town and check out the amazing shops, cute restaurants, Town Park and more. The buildings are beautiful and historic and the shop owners are all so nice.
- Make sure to check out these restaurants – there are tons of restaurants, and it was too cold to sit outside at night, but we just had to recommend these spots:
- Wood Ear – whiskey and ramen bar with lounge seating, locally smoked meats, and an awesome atmosphere
- The Butcher the Baker – charming breakfast spot with a ton of natural light and delicious food. Have the Day Maker (we went twice for this sandwich) – thank us later.
- there. – awesome cocktails and a tasty unique menu in a cozy bar
- Allred’s – we decided to splurge a little on our last night. Hop the gondola in your cutest, mountain-chic outfit, to the San Sophia mid station, where the restaurant is located. The 3 course menu is locally sourced and absolutely delicious. We had lobster bisque, Hamachi Aguachiles, Duck Breast and Elk Loin entrees, followed by light and sweet dessert. The best part is the view from this spot – head up right before sunset for a perfect view of the surrounding Rockies and alpenglow – it’s dreamy.
- Wood Ear – whiskey and ramen bar with lounge seating, locally smoked meats, and an awesome atmosphere
Getting There & Out of town Spots
Since we were only here for a long weekend, and staying so close to the lift, we decided to not rent a car. We flew into Montrose airport then shuttled with the Telluride Express. However, if you do have a car (and more time) we have a ton of recommendations from locals to check out:
- Hot Springs – there are 3 hot springs within and hour drive and all sound amazing
- Alta – a ghost town near the backside of Telluride which is supposed to be awesome to explore
- Ouray – locals said this town is set in the valley and absolutely gorgeous. In the winter it is a renowned ice climbing destination.
- Scenic Drives – Black Bear Pass, Last Dollar Road, San Juan Skyway, and Imogene Pass all came highly recommended from our shuttle driver. We saw a herd of elk, gorgeous red rocks, and endless snowcapped peaks on our drive from the airport to Telluride, so imagine what you will find on one of these other drives
We hope you enjoy your time away and outside in Telluride!!
