Plan Your Telluride Summer Road Trip
The little mountain town of Telluride has gained a lot of fame as a ski destination. Located in Colorado’s San Juan mountains, the area is sprinkled with giant Fourteeners—mountains exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation. The steep mountain slopes surrounding Telluride make for perfect skiing conditions in the winter.
Yet, many road-trippers fail to realize that Telluride is not just a ski destination. It’s also an awesome place to visit during the summer!
A Telluride summer road trip might not be at the top of your to-do list. In fact, Telluride often gets passed over because it is far out of the way from other top Colorado destinations.
I know, because I skipped Telluride during my first two visits to southwestern Colorado. The third time, I finally made it a point to drive out to Telluride. I’m so glad I did, and I think you will be too.
Top Telluride Summer Activities
Telluride is a very outdoorsy town. So you can’t just go there for the mountain views and call it quits. The best way to see Telluride is to get outside, enjoy the natural landscape, and participate in Telluride’s summer outdoor activities.
1 - Visit the Telluride Bike Park
During my first visit to Telluride, I was surprised to see mountain bikes everywhere. Sure, there were tourists renting bikes, but I also saw a lot of locals using bikes for transportation. Considering how small Telluride is, biking is a practical way to run errands without having to use your car. So don’t be surprised if the sidewalks are lined with mountain bikes.
I was surprised to see few road bikes, but when I learned more about the Telluride summer season, it made perfect sense. Like I said, Telluride is a top skiing location. During the summer, many of those ski trails are open for mountain biking.
With 231 miles of trails, the Telluride Bike Park is a magnet for mountain bikers, who come from all over to ride down the thrilling steep mountain slopes. The trails are a little different from your typical mountain biking courses, in that they are only for downhill mountain biking. Like ski slopes, the trails are color-coded and separated by level of difficulty. So even if you are a newbie, there are a few small trails you can try that are not too steep.
2 - Ride the Free Gondola
Telluride has a rather unique form of public transportation…in the form of an enclosed lift that travels up and down the mountain! The gondola runs on a cable and pulley system like a ski lift would, but consists of large enclosed cars that can comfortably sit four people.
The Telluride gondola runs nonstop all day until midnight. Since it is free, you don’t have to worry about getting tickets or reserving a spot. You simply walk to the gondola station and hop on the next empty car that comes around. Each car has sliding doors, which open when the car reaches a gondola station so you can come aboard. Just be aware that the cars only slow down, and never come to a complete stop…so prepare to jump on while the car is in motion.
The gondola runs from Telluride up to the town of Mountain Village, with the Station San Sophia in between. This midway station provides access to most of the bike trails. Mountain bikers can load their bikes onto racks on the gondola, and take them off at San Sophia to ride in the Telluride Bike Park.
Even if you don’t plan to get off at Mountain Village or go biking, riding the gondola should be at the top of your list for Telluride summer activities. With an elevation change of 1750 feet between Telluride and San Sophia, the view from the gondola is quite breathtaking…and it’s all free.
3 - Walk the Main Strip
The town of Telluride is laid out in a long and narrow orientation, with Colorado Avenue running lengthwise down the middle. Most of the shops, cafes, and other businesses are located along this center strip.
Your Telluride summer experience isn’t complete without spending some time browsing the main strip! Many of the cafes have outdoor seating, so you can enjoy your meal with a view of the surrounding mountains. There are also a few breweries and restaurants on the streets leading down to the San Miguel River a few blocks away.
4 - Walk the River Trail
One of my favorite aspects of Telluride is the San Miguel River, which runs along one edge of town. A four-mile trail follows along the riverbank, and offers a relaxing wooded stroll next to the sound of rushing water. The path cuts rather close to houses in some areas, but most of the homes by the river are very pretty and add to the scenery.
While it is mostly used as a walking trail, some people bike along the river trail as well, so just be careful and watch out for bikers. Because the trail runs along one side of town, it also offers a scenic route for traveling from one end of town to the other. You can take the river path and avoid most of the roads.
5 - Go to a Telluride Festival
If you can plan your Telluride summer trip ahead of time, make sure to plan your visit during one of the town’s many festivals. Finding a festival is easy, because Telluride has so many. The Telluride summer schedule is full music festivals, film festivals, mountain art festivals, and more. Click here to see a full list of upcoming Telluride festivals.
Even if you can’t time your trip to coincide with a festival, Telluride summers are full of music. Check for outdoor concerts and live music sessions before leaving for your trip. Chances are you will find a show to attend.
6 - Hike to a Bridal Veil Falls
If you enjoy hiking, there are plenty of trails in Telluride. For one, several of the ski trails are designated for hiking instead of mountain biking. So if you want to ride the gondola to San Sophia and hike on some of the ski slopes, that’s definitely an option.
For an easy walk, I’ve already mentioned the river trail. But there are also trails on the other side of Telluride, which take you up into the mountains.
With so many trails to choose from, it’s hard to pick a hike. But if you had to choose one, I suggest hiking to Bridal Veil Falls. It’s only about a mile hike from the trailhead to the waterfall, although the large elevation change makes the hike difficult. If you choose to visit Bridal Veil Falls, make sure to take the trail instead of walking the OHV trail, which is longer and actually follows an OHV road instead of a hiking trail.
Planning Your Telluride Road Trip Itinerary
As I mentioned before, Telluride is rather out of the way! So if you are planning a Telluride summer road trip, there are a few other places you should stop along the way. The town is only accessible from Highway 145. To the south, the highway runs to the town of Cortez, which is about an hour and a half from Telluride. Whereas to the north, several smaller highways split off of 145, giving you a few more options as to which route you take.
If you are coming from the direction of Cortez, there are at least two stops that you should add to your Telluride summer trip itinerary!
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Just about ten miles outside of Cortez, this road trip destination is worth the small detour if you like archaeology. This national monument contains thousands of Native American archaeological sites.
Located on the other side of Cortez from the Canyons of the Ancients, Mesa Verde National Park is the place to be if you like touring cliff dwellings. Like Canyons of the Ancients, Mesa Verde has thousands of archaeological sites…and about 600 of them are Pueblo cliff dwellings.
If you are coming down Highway 145 from the north, (or even if you aren’t), I suggest visiting the towns of Ridgway and Ouray. Even though Ouray is out of the way, if you are anywhere near Telluride, Ouray should be on your trip itinerary.
I like staying in Ridgway when I visit Colorado, because of its central location between Montrose, Telluride, and Ouray. The Ridgway State Park is a great place to camp, and hosts a large reservoir as well. Although the water is still very cold in the summer, it’s still fun to go swimming at one of the beach areas in the state park. If you are planning to camp in Ridgway or anywhere nearby, click here for a list of my top camping accessories.
Ouray
As much as I love Telluride, the town of Ouray still makes the top of my list of favorite Colorado towns. Known as the “Switzerland of America,” Ouray sure has earned that nickname. It’s one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see, so I definitely suggest fitting Ouray into your road trip itinerary despite the detour.
Do you want to explore more of Colorado? Head over to my blog post on top destinations between Montrose and Colorado Springs. Colorado is one of my favorite states to visit, and I love exploring all that it has to offer.
