Enchanting Telluride Colorado

Major towns along the scenic San Juan Skyway (US 550, 145, and US 62) are old mining camps including Creed, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride, Colorado. Telluride has made the transition to a major ski resort located in the southwestern part of Colorado. TellurideSki Resort opened in 1973, thus the character of this mountain community forever changed; born of the same spirit as snow skiing, cultural events, festivals, music, and performing arts were established.

Winter celebrates all things snow, and the Telluride Ski Resort provides world-classsnow skiing with 2,000-plus ski-able acres. Telluride is both a bustling ski town and historic jewel. Clapboard storefronts house independent art galleries, old-time bars, and eateries. During the winter, neighboring Mountain Village offers a modern take on world-class accommodations and convenient access to the slopes of Telluride. In Telluride you will also find accommodations with intimate Victorian settings and modern design elements-all just steps away from the Ski Resort and award-winning restaurants. No matter what time of year you visit Telluride your days will be full as each season offers its own unique entertainment. Summer brings warm weather forbackpacking and hiking right from the valley floor, as well as winter activities.

The Town Park offers many trails of which you can connect with the San Miguel River Trail, which runs through town and arrives at the Valley Floor Loop. Located within the Town Park is the Telluride Nordic Center offering group lessons daily and available lessons at alternative locations. Here you can find information on other Nordic Trails available outside the city limits such as the San Juan Hut Systems to back country skiing connecting Telluride, Ridgway, and Ouray. Prospect Basin and Alta Lakes can be accessed from top of Lift-10; advanced Nordic Skiers can ski from Magic Meadows past abandoned mining cabins to Alta Lakes. For more challenging skiing andsnowshoeing, the Priest Lake trails are just a few miles south of Telluride located at the Lizard Head Pass on Hwy#145. The trailhead is at the U.S. Forest Service facility just past the entrance to the Matterhorn campground. Here, you will find a variety of groomed trails ranging from three to six miles in length.

No matter what your outdoor fancy may be Telluride will surely satisfy even the more adventurous, advanced and extreme powder hounds. Visit Telluride and the Telluride Nordic Association (TNA) at the following links: http://www.visittelluride.com/ and http://telluridetrails.org/