Telluride ski resort guide Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Telluride
Telluride is a picturesque ski resort perched high up at 2667m in the majestic San Juan mountains.
With 150km of local terrain catering for all levels of skier and boarder with largely uncrowded slopes throughout the season, Telluride never fails to deliver a memorable ski holiday.
Après-ski
The historic centre of Telluride town is packed with shops, bars and restaurants and oozes a lively atmosphere whereas the Mountain Village connected by gondola has all the usual apres-ski bars to keep you entertained.
Wellness & spa
There are many excellent spas and wellness facilties in town and at the mountain village. The Telluride Ski & Golf Club offers a comprehensive menu of spa treatments
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 2667m |
| Top lift | 3831m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Ski area (acre) | 2000 |
| Longest run | 7 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 10 km |
| Season | All year |
| Snowboard parks | 4 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively & fun |
Telluride ski area
Ski holidays in Telluride - with around 300 inches of snow and 300 days of sunshine each year, the chances are you will have perfect conditions on your ski holiday exploring the huge area with over 2,000 acres! Telluride is also blessed with exceptional powder because, unlike the Northern Rockies,the prevailing winds come over the dry Arizona desert and then hit Mt Wilson behind the town. With so much terrain, the pistes are never busy and lift queues don't exist! In fact, the mountain is so uncrowded that you'll often feel like you are on your own private ski slope. The 127 pistes are split 23% for beginners, 36% intermediate and 41% for the advanced / expert skiers and boarders so there is plenty of terrain for all abilities.
Beginners
The beginners area gives you plenty of gentle pistes to practice your skills and there is the 4.6 mile Galloping Goose run specifically designed for first time skiers.
Intermediate
The whole local ski area is geared towards intermediate skiers and if you like touring, the Telluride ski resort area is heaven!!
Advanced
For the advanced skier, there is the famous Plunge piste which is seriously steep plus stacks of off-piste especially in the back bowls.
One of these, and the closest, is called Black Iron Bowl which is accessed via Lift 12 followed by a short hike to Prospect Ridge. The bowl offers plenty of trails plus the steep Mountain Quail couloir - not to be tried unless you have a guide.
Cross-country
Groomed tracks can be found around the valley floor, Trout and Priest Lakes and at the top of Chair Ten on the ski area. The Nordic Center in Telluride Town Park is to place to go for rentals, check trail conditions and book lessons.
Snowboard
For snowboarders, there are 4 major parks featuring rainbow boxes, moguls hills, easy kickers, straight boxes and more.
Featured vacation rentals in Telluride
You have a choice between Telluride Town and the Mountain Village when deciding where to stay.Both are extremely small and compact, meaning that everything you need is just a quick walk away. There is a free gondola that links Mountain Village with Telluride Town taking just 13 minutes - it stops running at midnight.
See all rentalsThe historic Telluride town is quaint and charming with a lively apres-ski scene. It's possible to ski back to some of the accommodation although the trails back down are more for intermediate skiers and above. The Mountain Village sits at 2908m and is a purpose built ski-in, ski-out resort with upmarket hotels and many million dollar holiday homes. It boasts a lively atmosphere with cobblestone streets lined with bars, restaurants and shops.
Things to see & do in Telluride
If you don't fancy skiing or the weather is not that great, then there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied.
| At a glance... | |
|---|---|
| Kite skiing | ✔ |
| Snow mobiling | ✔ |
| Snow biking | ✔ |
| Snow shoeing | ✔ |
| Spa & wellness with in-door swimming pool | ✔ |
| Night skiing | ✔ |
| Tobogganing | ✔ |
| Parapenting | ✔ |
| Ice skating | ✔ |
| Ice climbing | ✔ |
Our view on skiing in Telluride
We think Telluride is a wonderful resort that offers some seriously good terrain for all levels of skier and snowboarder. However, if you are an expert, this ski resort will get you coming back year after year. If you like Telluride, you may also want to look at Chamonix in the French Alps which is world famous for its hardcore technical off-piste skiing and Jackson Hole.
