Adventure Seeker’s Guide to Vacationing in Telluride
Prepare for your next Colorado vacation adventure. The four-seasons environment offers a variety of activities to thrill your adventure seeker’s soul. Colorado towns large and small offer glorious and breathtaking views and adrenaline-pumping experiences like no other, but there’s a special small-town adventure seeker’s paradise, Telluride. A number of Colorado’s best outdoor adventures are available when vacationing in Telluride, where you can rest and relax surrounded by small town charm afterward.
Day 1: Get Ready
If you’re not used to the thinner mountain air, you may want to take a day and relax, orient yourself, and get used to breathing in the new environment. It will make your adventures much easier to handle physically. For those who are coming from other mountain regions, or don’t need as much time to acclimate, you can start adventuring as soon as you arrive!
Day 2: Hiking
Colorado is full of hiking and biking trails that take you through the state’s natural beauty. Hike some of the area’s most popular paths, including the San Miguel River Trail, the trails leading to Bridal Veil Falls or Bear Creek Falls, or Jud Wiebe Trail. Challenge yourself with the most difficult hike in all of Telluride – the Sneffels Highline Loop – or take it a little slower with more moderate trails like Black Bear Pass or Blue Lakes Trail. You may need to share the trails with explorers on horseback or bikers. We do not recommend this as a snowy-weather activity.
Day 3: Mountain Biking or Fat Tire Biking
Depending on when you visit, your mountain biking adventure will look different. During the time of year when there’s no snow on the ground, the San Juan mountains that surround Telluride provide a variety of terrain for a unique riding experience. Experienced bikers can take challenging trails that take you exploring down old mining roads, through basins, and high above the box canyon. Explore longer trails, and moderate-skill level trails that link former railroad tracks throughout the valley and further west. If you’re not ready for the various elevation changes and thinner air of the trails, stick closer to town at the Telluride Bike Park at the Telluride Ski Resort. From San Sophia Station, you can access bike trails for both Mountain Village and Telluride or take a road ride along the scenic San Juan Skyway.
Fat tire biking is a unique experience for mountain bikers who may not have been able to visit during without snow on the ground. The San Juan mountains surrounding Telluride and its valley provide a variety of terrain for a riding experience that combines two thrills: mountain biking and negotiating snow-capped mountains.
No matter what trail you choose, you’ll experience the splendor and breathtaking beauty of thriving aspen groves and lush meadows.
Day 4: Paragliding
Get your feet off the ground during your Telluride adventure. Take to the skies on a paragliding expedition for a bird’s eye view of the breathtaking scenery. Tandem paragliding experiences are provided by USHPA certified instructors. If you enjoy the single ride and are in town a while, take some lessons.
Come back when there’s snow on the ground and try your hand at speed riding. Speed riding, which brings you closer to the terrain below your feet, combines paragliding and skiing. The activity is part of the lessons you can choose that last 7-10 days and should only be attempted by expert skiers.
Day 5: Whitewater Rafting (Summer)
The San Miguel River cuts right through Telluride! It offers some laid-back activities like paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing, but also offers an activity to get your adrenaline pumping. Beginners will find fun on the Lower river offers more tame Class II as well as more active Class III rapids.
The Upper river is full of Class III and higher rapids that will have your adrenaline pumping nearly non-stop. Companies provide safety gear including life jackets and helmets. Rafts are typically six-person vessels. Ask about age or weight restrictions before booking.
Whitewater rafting is a summer activity, typically available late May – mid-July.
Winter Sports
You can spend every day of your winter vacation with winter sports in Telluride. The Telluride Ski Resort has some of the best slopes in the area, with tracks for beginners all the way up to the most advanced skiers.
Experts looking for some different ski experiences can explore the backcountry, or try heli-skiing, where you jump from a helicopter to land on the snow and ski your way down the mountain. Try a moderately difficult activity that’s different and fun for all ages: cross-country skiing.
Telluride’s #1 Adventure: Accommodations with Lodging In Telluride
From skiing and snowboarding in the winter, to hiking, biking, and more in the warmer months, vacationing in Telluride is something you don’t want to miss for your most adrenaline-pumping activities. As you plan all of your thrill-seeking adventures, book a vacation rental with Lodging In Telluride as your ‘home base.’ Choose a cozy studio-style unit for a solo or sweetheart excursion. For larger groups, we offer units as large as six bedrooms! Fuel up with a home-cooked meal in the fully equipped kitchen, then stretch out and relax in a private bedroom or open living space.
