Plan a well-deserved getaway with loved this summer to a four-seasons resort town like no other. The Centennial State is dotted with a number of cozy mountain towns that offer plenty of activities, attractions, and more. If this sounds like just what the doctor ordered for your summer respite, point your compass and pack your bags for a stay in beautiful Telluride. Our guide will help you plan your Telluride Summer getaway!
Plan a Telluride Summer Getaway
Telluride is known as the Summer Festival Capital of Colorado. There are over a dozen festivals that take place in the official summer calendar season. Celebrate some of your favorite things, including film, hot air ballooning, food, wine, yoga, and more. Celebrate the arts with the Plein Air festival, and put a spotlight on the area’s architecture too with the Art + Architecture festival. The town celebrates all types of music, too. Schedule your break around the Bluegrass Festival, Americana Music Festival, Jazz Festival, or a festival honoring blues music, and beer called the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival.
Hiking
Get your exercise and a dose of fresh mountain air this summer. Hiking an excellent and adventurous way to get out and enjoy much of the scenic landscape that surrounds Telluride. Enjoy the beautiful landscape as you wander along a myriad of nature trails that take you places your rental car can’t go.
Stay prepared by taking trail essentials like water, sun protection, trail food, a first aid kit, and whatever else it is you need for a comfortable trek. Make sure to schedule your hikes a few days after you arrive, so you can get used to the thinner mountain air before any intense exercise. The trails are a great place for bikers, too, so make sure to share the trail.
Historic Telluride
Spend your summer respite in a place where the town itself is an attraction to be explored this summer! Wander through historic Telluride, which designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964 due to its significant role in the history of the American West.
Stop in at the town museum and learn about the town’s evolution from Ute tribe summer camp, to mining camp, to boom-town, and finally the ski and winter sport mecca of today. Shop the stores and boutiques, many of which are housed in some of the town’s original buildings that date back to the 1800s.
Horseback Rides
Enjoy mountain vistas, along with breathtaking, wide-open views, when you venture along the trails of the San Juan mountains. Rejuvenate your mind and spirit with the sights and scents of summer and a ride on horseback. Choose from a guided afternoon ride through forests and meadows, or an overnight adventure. Add on the unique experience of a chuck wagon dinner and enjoy the meal before returning to Telluride.
Gondola Rides
The famed Telluride gondola is waiting to give you the ride of a lifetime during your summer break. The free gondola provides a 13-minute ride that includes the beautiful scenery of Telluride from over 10,500 feet on the way to hiking and biking trails. Load onto the gondola in Telluride or nearby Mountain Village. Ride all the way to the top, or stop at the midpoint (Station San Sophia) for access to hiking and biking trails.
Operating hours are daily, 6:30 a.m. – midnight. The gondola reopens for summer after its spring maintenance staring on May 23, 2024 – just in time to celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer, and throughout the season.
Mountain Biking
The San Juan mountains that surround Telluride provide a variety of terrain for a riding experience you won’t find anywhere else. Experienced bikers can explore more challenging trails that lead down old mining roads, through basins, and high above the box canyon. These longer, more difficult trails join moderate-skill level trails that link former railroad tracks throughout the valley and further west. Don’t worry, there are trails for beginners, too.
If you’re not yet 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. For those looking to explore the trails, from the gondola’s San Sophia Station, you can access them from both Mountain Village and Telluride. Schedule your rides for a couple days after you arrive to get used to the thinner mountain air. The trails are an adventure for hikers, too, so be sure to share the trail appropriately.
Paragliding
Get your feet off the ground and your adrenaline pumping during your Telluride summer adventure and take to the skies on a paragliding experience over the Telluride valley. You’ll feel your adrenaline pumping while getting a breathtaking view from above. Try it out with a tandem experience, or if you’ve stretched a long summer break, sign up for lessons.
Take a Break This Summer in Telluride
For the best experience throughout your Telluride summer adventure, make sure the first thing on your planning To Do list is booking a vacation rental home with Accommodations in Telluride. Choose a cozy one-bedroom for a solo or sweetheart summer getaway, all the way up to a six-bedroom home for a large family or group reunion filled with summer fun.
Prepare delicious meals in the fully-equipped kitchen. Stretch out in an open living space after a day of Telluride summer activities, or retreat to a private Telluride home for some well-deserved rest before another day of fun. Contact us to book your stay today!
