Shot by Jake Burchmore
Telluride ski season
Telluride, Colorado is a favourite holiday destination all year round and boasts a wide array of luxurious vacation rentals. The great thing about Telluride is that there are several places where one can begin their ski day. From downtown, you can access the slopes via either Mountain Village or Market Plaza. Mountain Village Telluride is the main village area, home to a large number of shops and restaurants. It is very spacious, with a few different plazas. Each plaza has its own lift and restaurants. The size of the town of Telluride is similar to Vail, and much bigger than Beaver Creek. Each plaza has great pedestrian access.
When staying downtown, guests are able to walk to the Telluride gondola in town and take that up to Mountain Village. After which they can take lift 4 to then ski down. Alternatively, you could also stop at San Sophia Station which has some black runs and a restaurant. Once you arrive at Mountain Village, there are a myriad of options. Most of the blue and green terrain is at the bottom of the mountain, and there are a few bowls towards the top with more advanced terrain. The runs are very long and wide. There are a lot of blue and greens that intersect, with some moguls interspersed, making it easy to navigate between a blue and a green.
Ski runs are broken down into 23% beginner, 36% intermediate and 41% advanced/expert
Snowy Telluride mountains
The signs on the mountain were easy to read and navigate. It reminds one of Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek, as there are lots of tunnels & bridges, as well as copious amounts of ski-in/ski-out Telluride lodging. Ski school seemed like a great program. This starts in Mountain Village at either the Heritage Plaza or at the top of Chondola 1. Both of these are right in the heart of Mountain Village. In addition, when staying downtown, you would simply need to take the free gondola up from the town and you are at Heritage Plaza for ski school.
The ‘villages’ of Telluride Ski Resort are Mountain Village and Downtown. There is also the Meadows, which is towards the bottom, below Mountain Village and there is one restaurant there. San Sophia and Market Plaza are other places where you can start skiing, but there is not as much going on there. However, in Downtown and Telluride Mountain Village, restaurants, bars, shopping and lodging are in no short supply. There are also many restaurants on the mountain to stop at while skiing, and some really high up. Alpino Vino is the highest on-mountain dining of this kind in North America. The only issue here is that all of the runs on this part of the mountain are blacks, so not ideal for a novice skier.
Three of our best Telluride vacation rentals
What Telluride’s villages have to offer
For guests staying downtown, it is very pedestrian-friendly and there is a shuttle service available. Whilst there are slopes from the mountain to downtown, they are all black runs. Mountainside Inn, where I stayed, does allow for ski-in, but it looked fairly advanced. downtown itself is gorgeous, and guests have exceptional views of the surrounding mountains.
It is home to a range of good Telluride bars and restaurants. La Marmotte, one of the finest, high-end Telluride restaurants, serves French cuisine and is a great option for dinner. For brunch, head to the Floradora Saloon, which is a local staple. Downtown feels like a quintessential mountain town and feels steeped in history, with many of the buildings from the 1800’s. It manages to subtly introduce more modern aspects as well, with plenty of art galleries, and nice shops, making it the perfect blend of old and new. The town is quieter than Vail or Beaver Creek, and it is easier to get a table at a restaurant without a reservation.
Stream running through Telluride
Away from downtown, Mountain Village has a more luxurious feel to it. There are plenty of beautiful hotels and large homes all around, particularly ski-in/ski-out options. For guests seeking a true ski-in/ski-Telluride vacation rentals experience, Mountain Village is a definitely better option than downtown. And, should they wish to visit a specific restaurant in Downtown Telluride, the gondola runs until midnight, and 2am at weekends, making it really easy to get back and forth, and not requiring the use of a car.
The town is also very dog friendly, including the free gondola which also allowed dogs. For travel access to Telluride, there are several airport options that guests could fly into: Montrose, Telluride and Durango. Denver International Airport is also an option, however this is a 6–8 hour drive, and there are some parts of the drive that would be difficult in snow.
Telluride in Summer
When the snow melts, the resort and surroundings are equally beautiful with certainly no shortage of things to do in the Telluride summer. The Telluride hiking trails offer something for everyone with around 100 different routes from quick afternoon strolls, to challenging peak summits and multi-day hiking adventures. In Telluride, camping is also popular, with many campsites to choose from (such as the popular Matterhorn Campground), offering the adventurous affordable means of exploring the area and surroundings. Telluride mountain biking is also very popular, with a wide range of biking trails. For the golfers, the Telluride golf course will keep you busy
Telluride fly fishing is also well known for its superb fishing experiences, particularly its rainbow trout streams. If you’re unfamiliar with the area, it’s recommended that you connect with a local guide who can assist in organising fishing licenses, advising about public and private waters, and showing you all the best places to cast a line such as the Dolores River and Uncompahgre River.
When the snow melts in Telluride
Approximately 100 different hiking routes to choose from in Telluride
Summer is also the time when the much anticipated annual Telluride Bluegrass festival takes place, a weekend music festival which has hosted a number of loved musicians such as the Yonder Mountain String Band and Peter Rowan.
Mountainside Inn is a great option for travellers on a budget. The rooms are large, and there is plenty of communal space. The units include a full kitchen, dining table and a living room with a TV. The bedroom features a king bed and a full bathroom. There was parking included and a hot tub, and pets are welcome. It is roughly a 10-minute walk to the free gondola and around 10-15 minutes to Main Street.
There are many large, luxurious Telluride house rentals all over the mountain, in addition to cozy condos. In Mountain Village in particular, there are plenty of hotel and condo options that are extremely high end. In general, Downtown has more budget-friendly Telluride rental homes. For families seeking easy access to ski school and the slopes, Mountain Village would be the best option. For a group of friends, Downtown would be a better option.
Telluride resort is an outstanding holiday destination choice. It offers luxury in a cozy mountain town, and the distance from Denver to Telluride means it is less crowded than some of the other popular resorts. It is very easy to get around on foot, with the free gondola up to Mountain Village making things even easier. There are plenty of high-end accommodations, as well as more economic vacation homes, providing something for everyone.
In terms of terrain, there is such a wide array of different runs and they have a great ski school program. There is definitely something for everyone, with a wide variety of terrain, moguls, magic carpet, and multiple bowls to enjoy, and Epic Pass holders are able to use their pass here.
Testimonials
Team was awesome!
Condo was good, location was great, team was awesome!
Elizabeth
We will definitely be back!
Absolutely beautiful unit. The location was perfect for us. We will definitely be back.
Eric
Our Services
The Travel Whisperer is here to take the hassle out of booking your winter vacation. We have extensive knowledge of our resorts, and will work with you to create a customized itinerary based on your wants and needs, including:
- Lodging
- Lift Tickets
- Equipment Rentals
- Transportation
- Vehicle Rental
- Ski & Snow Boarding Lessons
- Adaptive Ski Guiding
- Deliveries for Special Occasions
- Grocery Shopping & Delivery
- Restaurant Bookings
- In-home Private Chefs
- Luggage & Parcel Collections
- Activities Booking
- Babysitting Services
- Dog Sitting & Dog Walking
- Wellness Activities