When planning your next trip to Telluride, you could follow the masses and visit all the places that all the crowds do, or you could learn to love our mountain town as you experience it like a local. We at Accommodations in Telluride live here, we work here, and we play here, which means we know the secret spots where the waiting lines are shorter, the costs are lower, and the joy they bring is more joyous. This Telluride vacation guide to how to experience Telluride like a local will give you an insider’s peek into our Colorado paradise that you will wish never had to end.
Exploring the Slopes
As you may well know, Telluride is a skier’s town, and Telluride Ski Resort is our home away from home during the winter months, so whether you are a local or a tourist, we are sure that your favorite part of your winter escape to the mountains will be spent on the slopes. There is something new to explore, something that only we locals know about (so far), and we have included the details below.
Telluride Ski Resort Heritage Trail
In December 2024, the resort opened a new trail, one that provides a unique experience instead of just offering another route down the mountain. The Heritage Trail is an interactive one, taking skiers on a journey through the history of Telluride and offering a new and well developed understanding of our mountain town. Located in the area we call Grouse Glade, just off the Double Cabin Trail, skiers will go on a journey that takes them through time, going all the way back to the evolution of the San Juan Mountains, stopping at the Ute Native Tribe, the pioneers of the Wild West, even exploring Butch Cassidy’s first bank robbery, and ending with the wonders of the ski resort you are exploring today. This trail celebrating the heritage of Telluride has not been done before, but it is already becoming a personal favorite of everyone who lives here.
Shopping Adventures
Shopping is always a fun experience when traveling, and our secret is it is fun when you are not traveling as well, especially in Telluride. We don’t tend to visit the souvenir shops that tourists love, but we too need gifts for our family members, something to read on a snowy night, and of course, we need food to feed our families. The shops listed below are amongst our favorites.
Enchanted Village Toy Shoppe, 150 W Pacific Avenue #C
Your vacation in Telluride will allow you to put the pressures of all the birthday parties your kids are invited to back home out of your mind for a few minutes, but if you really want to forget, a visit to the Enchanted Village Toy Shoppe. Offering an enchanting selection of toys, games, and gifts for children of all ages, even if you don’t have a specific child in mind, you can still stop by to add to your collection of board games. Many of our Accommodations in Telluride retreats will offer games for your entertainment pleasures, but you can never have too much fun in your life, so feel free to grab a few more.
Between the Covers Bookstore & Bruno Café, 307 E Colorado Avenue
Is there any greater luxury than curling up in an overstuffed chair with a new book in hand and a warm beverage just waiting to be sipped as the snow falls to the frozen ground outside? We don’t think so, and when we have a few spare minutes in our busy schedules you will find us browsing the shelves of Between the Covers Bookstore and enjoying a snack at Bruno Café. Spend some time here yourself and bring your books home to your Colorado sanctuary, where we are sure you will find the perfect chair, the perfect spot, and the perfect book to lose yourself in during your Telluride adventures.
Over the Moon Fine Foods, 223 S Pine Street
The fully equipped kitchens in our Accommodations in Telluride Colorado retreats are lacking just one thing: the food you will need to create meals “at home.” Fortunately, Over the Moon Fine Foods is located not far from your home sweet vacation home, offering gourmet foods that will elevate your dining experiences. These aren’t your ordinary groceries, however, and with every purchase, the meals you enjoy with your family will be that much more special.
The Wild West Lives On
Today, Telluride is a cosmopolitan mountain town offering sophisticated adventures and an exciting cultural scene, but it wasn’t always that way. Once a wild and rugged mountain town, the Wild West wasn’t just something to be read about; it was something experienced by those who lived here. The stories told here are ones we Telluride locals were taught at our grandfather’s knees, and some of those stories will be told below.
Butch Cassidy Was Here
Most everyone knows the story of Butch Cassidy, but very few know that his story began here with the first bank he robbed. Although that bank, San Miguel Valley Bank, burned down just a few years after the robbery that netted Mr. Cassidy a whopping $20,000, a new building was built on the site of the former bank, the Maher Building. Today, a plaque attached to the walls of this nearly historic building pays homage to this infamous moment in American history. We locals like to bring visiting family members to the site and the selfies taken in front of the plaque never fail to please.
Telluride Historical Museum, 201 W Gregory Avenue
Saturdays have always been free for locals, and we have all spent many lazy ones exploring the stories that are told at the Telluride Historical Museum. Housed inside what used to be the former hospital, rumors are the building is haunted by the spirits that didn’t survive their visits in more rugged times, something that just added to our enjoyment of our visits to the museum. Today, permanent exhibits include the Telluride Blanket, the only surviving fully intact blanket created by either the Pueblo or Anasazi, dating back hundreds of years. All of Telluride’s past is exhibited at this wonderful museum and as new exhibits keep being added we don’t see our trip through time ever getting boring.
Popcorn Alley
Popcorn Alley in Telluride is a street lined with colorfully painted buildings that today may be considered tiny homes but were actually the center of what many might call the naughty district back in the day. Bordellos, gambling halls, even buildings in which illegal drinks and other substances were served gave this part of Telluride its wild reputation, and the stories that came from Popcorn Alley live on in infamy today. Rumored to be haunted, today you will discover that the Silver Bell Building, formerly a bordello, is now a pilates studio, and many of the cribs (as they were once known) are residences today, offering gardens that bloom with beautiful flowers enjoyed by their owners as they sip coffee and revel in the tranquility that Telluride brings today.
Angler’s Delight
In the summer months, Telluride offers a different vibe, with its verdant forests, babbling creeks and rivers, and many hiking trails (more about those later), and if you are seeking a fishing adventure, the spots listed below are where you may find yourself sharing a bank with the locals that love a day of fly fishing as well.
Uncompahgre River in Montrose
We love our hometown, but a road trip to Montrose in the summer months brings hours of angling delights, being home to the Uncompahgre River which is one of our state’s hidden gems. Just like in the movie “Fight Club,” no one talks about the Uncompahgre River, but the large brown trout that swim there seem to like finding themselves attached to the business end of our poles.
San Miguel River, Telluride Outskirts
The San Miguel River lies a little closer to town, serving as a home to brook and brown trout. Those who know, know and from the months of June through October this is the best kept open secret in town. Fish Rigs Fly Shop & Guide Service offers full day fly fishing trips on the San Miguel, should you be interested.
Trout Lake, San Miguel County
Located just 15 minutes south of Telluride, Trout Lake may offer the most beautiful landscape in the state. Clear waters reflect the mountain peaks that surround it, forests of evergreens offer a verdant appeal, and quite frankly, even our worst fishing days are the best days when we are wetting our lines in the crystal-clear waters of Trout Lake. Nonmotorized boats, including kayaks and canoes, are allowed for those who would prefer to fish from the middle of the lake instead of from the shore.
Where the Locals Eat
In any tourist destination there are two sets of restaurants, the ones the tourists frequent and the ones that the locals feel at home in, and the ones listed below fall in the latter category.
El Rhino Taco Café, 456 Mountain Village Boulevard
We can’t think of anything we love more than coffee and tacos and although we never thought of combining them, El Rhino Taco Café has us convinced that it is the only way to eat breakfast! They hand make the tortillas, use locally sourced ingredients in their meals, and their coffee beans are roasted just two miles away. Their breakfast menu is a small one, offering just tacos and burritos in addition to their coffee, but their lunch menu is a bit larger, featuring lunch versions of their tacos and burritos and adding nachos and quesadillas that will feed your soul while filling your belly.
Brown Dog Pizza, 110 E Colorado Avenue
Pizza is the universal language of “What’s for dinner?” and Brown Dog Pizza has been our family’s savior many, many, MANY times over the years. They offer a gluten free menu in addition to their standard gluten filled pies, and there is no problem that can’t be solved with one of their gooey, crunchy, and delicious cannoli in hand. Named for the original owner’s chocolate lab, the pizza at Brown Dog is billed as the world’s best, so why not check it out for yourself and see if you agree?
Allred’s Restaurant, San Sophia Station
Romance is on the menu at Allred’s Restaurant, located nearly 12,000 feet up in the mountains at the top of the Telluride Gondola. Offering panoramic views through windows that stretch from floor to ceiling, its world class menu and award-winning wine list make this restaurant the first place we consider when we are celebrating a special occasion in our homes. The prices are a little steep, so kids’ birthdays are best celebrated somewhere else (everyone loves Brown Dog Pizza), but a romantic meal at Allred’s Restaurant will make your special occasion shine bright.
Staycations With Accommodations in Telluride
When you live in paradise, there is no reason to leave, but vacations are still necessary for your mental health. So, what do the locals do in Telluride when they don’t want to leave but seriously need a break? They (we!) take a staycation in the most comfortable and luxurious vacation escapes in the mountains, and yes, those would be our Accommodations in Telluride retreats. Offering both vacation homes and vacation condos in both the town of Telluride and Mountain Village, we can relax, enjoy the mountain views that we are addicted to, and avoid the long honey-do lists that make staying at home an exercise in frustration and hard work. Besides, someone has to test out each property, make sure that there is truth in advertising and that the comforts, luxuries, and amenities all work as they should.
Reserve Your Favorite Vacation Escape in Telluride Today
A vacation is more fun than a staycation, allowing travelers to explore new places and relax comfortably at the end of every day, and your vacation in Telluride will be that much more special because you chose Accommodations in Telluride for your Colorado vacation rental. Book your stay today.
