Telluride Ski Resort, Colorado

Telluride Ski Resort is a popular vacation destination in Mountain Village, Colorado and close to the Town of Telluride. The Telluride Ski Resort is open all year round. The resort is in the southern San Juan Mountains which are part of the Rocky Mountains. These mountain ranges have the largest concentration of 13,000 and 14,000 foot mountains in North America and offer some of the most spectacular scenic views in America. The town of Telluride sits in a box canyon which has very steep forested mountains and cliffs surrounding it. The scenic Bridal Veil Falls are also situated at the canyon’s head.

Telluride Ski Resort has more than 2,000 acres to ski on and is usually visited by celebrities who come for the beautiful European style lodging and atmosphere. Telluride is also popular for their family friendly ski slopes and some of the most challenging ski terrain for the experts ski enthusiast. In all, the ski terrain can be divided in half as beginner’s and intermediate terrain at approximately 50% and expert ski terrain for the other 50%. This makes Telluride an ideal place for all types of experienced and inexperienced skiers.

The ski hotels on Telluride’s mountain are some of the best in the country which resemble European alpine villages. Some of these beautiful hotels include the Mountain Lodge Telluride, Fairmont Franz Klammer Lodge, Hotel Madeline, Hotel Telluride, Lumiere, Peaks Resort. It is no secret that Telluride is one of the best Family Ski resorts in America.

The origins of Telluride began in the late 1800s as a mining camp and has transformed throughout the years as a beautiful ski resort. It has also been declared a National Historic Landmark District. Today, many old mining camps which have long been abandoned can still be seen along the countryside.

A free gondola connects the town of Telluride with its companion town, Mountain Village, Colorado, at the base of the ski area. Telluride and the surrounding area have been the location background for many films and it is the subject of several popular songs. It is especially known for its ski resort and slopes during the winter, as well as an extensive festival schedule during the summer.

Telluride Ski Resort is unique in that you can reach at least one intermediate run off of every lift on the mountain which makes it appealing to most skiers to be able to see and explore various parts of the mountains scenery and ski terrain.

Beginner Terrains:

  • MEADOWS
    The Meadows, Telluride’s popular beginner area, has been recently expanded to become a world-class learning area. With a newly installed 320-foot covered surface lift and a significant investment in a Terrain Based Learning program, ski beginners can enjoy the freedom of learning on a wide open space without ever feeling crowded. As the terrain is used to naturally control speed and assist with learning, The Meadows learning area is where beginners discover their love for the winter, and ultimately deepening their experience of Telluride.
  • SUNSHINE
    Sunshine Express (Lift 10) accesses a wide variety of beginner terrain. It’s set apart from advanced and expert terrain, so you’ll be skiing alongside other skiers of the same skill level. Nearly the entire area is groomed daily.
  • UTE PARK BEGINNER TERRAIN PARK
    With around 25 beginner and 25 intermediate features, Ute Park has something for beginners, intermediates, families, and all the kids out there. Here you will find a separate beginner and intermediate line containing a wide variety of jumps and features that will be a great introduction to freestyle terrain. Ute Park provides a great way to build your skill set and confidence before progressing to the next level. It is truly some of the coolest and most creative terrain based learning you will find. View more information about Telluride terrain parks.
  • PROSPECT BOWL
    Prospect Bowl is a wide-open bowl located at the foot of Palmyra Peak. For beginner and intermediate skiers, Madison, Magnolia and Sandia are some of our favorite trails. These groomed trails wind in and out of trees and offer incredible views of Gold Hill and Palmyra Peak. Telluride’s longest ski run, Galloping Goose, starts at the top of Prospect Express (Lift 12) and follows the ski resort boundary 4.6 miles to the base of Sunshine Express (Lift 10). Galloping Goose is groomed daily.

Intermediate Terrains:
Intermediate trails are accessible from all lifts at Telluride Ski Resort, allowing mid-level skiers and riders to experience the mountain the same way more advanced visitors are able. Some of the most scenic sections of the mountain are accessible from intermediate terrain.

  • SEE FOREVER
    One of our most popular trails is See Forever. Groomed daily, See Forever is accessible from Lifts 6, 9, 14, and 15 and offers expansive views of the Telluride region. The trail features a mix of moderate pitches and wide-open corduroy. We highlighted some of our best scenic views and marked them with “Groomed with a View” signs. On a clear day, the La Sal Mountains in Utah come into view nearly 100 miles to the west. Mt. Wilson (14,246′) and Wilson Peak (14,017′) are prominently on display to the southwest, and Mt. Sneffels (14,150′) towers over the San Sophia range to the north as you ski back down to Mountain Village.
  • ENCHANTED FOREST
    Kids who want to take their time easing into tree skiing can also access the Resort’s “Enchanted Forest” from Sunshine Express (Lift 10). The Enchanted Forest is a children’s paradise. The entrance offers a clear path into the forest where a winding trail brings skiers and riders past wooden statues and hidden tree gnomes. From there, take beginner trails Teddy’s Way or Double Cabin to the base of Lift 10.
  • POLAR QUEEN
    Our recommendation for the most access to intermediate skiing is in the Polar Queen area. Take a right off of Village Express (Lift 4) and head down Boomerang and Cakewalk before hopping on Polar Queen Express (Lift 5). From there enjoy a number of wide-open intermediate trails as you head back toward the base of Lift 5. To get back to Mountain Village, head down Cake Walk to Lower Boomerang.

Revelation Bowl is a skiers’ bounty on a powder day from 12,570′. The Gold Hill Chutes 1-10 should keep you busy and breathing hard. But to achieve the highest ranks, you must climb Telluride’s notorious Gold Hill stairs to reach 13,150′ Palmyra Peak accessing hundreds of acres of in-bounds terrain and some very long, steep and deep Telluride skiing, 4,425′ vertical back to town.

Top-A-Ten Snowshoe & Nordic Area
Located at the Top of Lift 10, the Top-A-ten Snowshoe and Nordic Area offers 10 kilometers of groomed, rolling trails that lead nordic skiers and snowshoers through high alpine forests and magical open meadows. The serene trails offer breathtaking views of Prospect Bowl, Palmyra Peak and the surrounding San Juan Mountains. Advanced skiers and snowshoers can continue outside the boundary of the ski area to Alta Lakes on National Forest trails. Two warming yurts, a picnic deck and restrooms are open to the public daily.

To access the Top-A-Ten Nordic Trails guests can purchase a single-use lift ticket for $25 which includes one lift ride up and down via Lift 10. Tickets can be purchased from the Mountain Village Ticket Office or Big Billies Ticket Office, or follow the uphill guidelines set forth in TSG’s Uphill Policy. You can call the Telluride Adventure Center, (970) 728-7433, for more information.

For daily grooming status, find Boomerang Loop, Magic Meadows Loop and Lynx Loop under the “Sunshine Express” section of Snow Report’s Trails & Grooming tab. Trails marked with a “G” were groomed within the past 24 hours.

  • Ski Biomechanics Camp
  • Development Squad
  • Heli-Ski Camp
  • Making Friends with Moguls Camp
  • Silver Skier Program
  • Women’s Ski & Ride Camp

For Families, Telluride caters to kids with all day and half day kids ski and snowboard programs, conveniently located in the Mountain Village by the Gondola, and day care as well. Lots of family friendly ski terrain, terrain parks and kids’ zones dot the Telluride Mountain trail map and keep you happy for a family Telluride ski trip.

Telluride’s downtown has a strong vein of gold and silver mining – dating back to the 1878 rush. Now there are beautiful hotels such as the New Sheridan Hotel, top chef restaurants like 221 Oak and Soupcon, and art galleries and boutiques galore.

Telluride has a free four-stage gondola connecting the town to the upper mountain ski village, so you can stay at the spectacular on mountain hotels, and take the gondola to walk around downtown for apres ski, Telluride evening shopping and dining. Kids will enjoy the very cowboy wild west vibe of town, and the story that Butch Cassidy’s first bank robbery occurred in Telluride.

Beyond the ski lifts, Telluride is now widely recognized as an all-season resort. Telluride Ski Resort is definitely the main attraction in the winter. But when summer comes around, Telluride transforms into an outdoor recreation hot spot, with tourists visiting to enjoy mountain biking, hiking, river rafting, sightseeing and more. The Telluride Tourism Board promotes tourism in the region.

Telluride features over 30 hiking trails ranging in difficulty level. Some of the more popular routes include Ajax Peak, Bear Creek Falls, Hope Lake, and Bridal Veil Falls. Hiking season begins in May and lasts until early October, with waterfalls gushing in June and wildflowers at their peak in early July. The trails range from quick and easy runs to multi-day hiking trips that reach an elevation of 14,000 feet. Nearly all the trails feature waterfalls, wildflowers, and high alpine lakes.

Telluride is also home to many endurance events. The Hardrock 100, held in July, has a major aid station in the town park. The Fall Tilt, a 12-hour downhill mountain biking event, is held in Mountain Village each September. And the 40-mile Telluride Mountain Run loops the town in a wide swath that includes some of the most difficult and scenic trails in the area.

Telluride Ski Stats:

  • Vertical: 4,425 ft
  • Top elevation: 13,150 ft
  • Base elevation: 8,725 ft
  • Skiable area: more than 2,000 acres
  • Snowfall average: 330 inches year
  • Snowmaking: Yes
  • SKi Runs: 127
  • Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg 23% beginner
  • Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg 36% intermediate
  • Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg 41% advanced/expert
  • Longest run “Galloping Goose” – 4.6 miles
  • Terrain parks: 3

Lift system:

  • 2 gondolas
  • 12 chairlifts
  • – 7 hi-speed quads
  • – 1 quad
  • – 2 triples
  • – 2 doubles
  • 2 surface lifts
  • 2 magic carpets
  • Lift capacity 22,386 skiers per hour

for more infor on Telluride you can visit: tellurideskiresort.com