You've come to the right place.
Telluride And Mountain Village, Colorado
Telluride's pristine mountain valley location, rich history, and proximity to world-class snowsports took the area from ghost town to bustling tourist destination around the 1970's. Over the years, Telluride and the adjacent Mountain Village have drawn an influx of visitors to luxury resorts with ski-in access, five star accommodations, and fine dining. However, the mountain retreat is becoming increasingly celebrated for its warm weather adventures and summer festivals. Hiking, nature walks, 4x4 Jeep tours, and festivals including concerts, film, wine, dance, jazz, bluegrass, blues and brews pepper the town from June through August.
Colorado's Great Outdoors
Adventurous enough for adrenaline junkies but tame enough for even small children, Telluride Outside (800/831-6230, Telluride Outside, 121 W. Colorado Ave, Telluride CO 81435) offers 4-WD Jeep tours into Tomboy Mountain, home to the old gold and silver mines in the San Juan Mountains more than 13,000-ft high. Half and full-day tours include excursions to Imogene Pass/Tomboy Ghost Town, Black Bear Pass, Ophir Pass/Alta Ghost Town, Last Dollar Road, and Dunton Hot Springs. The guides emphasize the history and life on the mines while shutterbugs and nature lovers savor the views. You'll be hard pressed to find a better way to experience the San Juan Mountains. Telluride Outside can also arrange fly-fishing, river rafting, mountain bike tours, and saltwater trips.
Explore the wildlife and local flora and fauna of Colorado with a stop 10,500-feet up at the St. Sophia Nature Center (970/728-7360) directly off the St. Sophia gondola stop. Free to visitors, the center features children's nature activities, maps, wildlife lessons, and interpretive hikes. Our guide was adept at identifying hundreds of flowers, beetle entry holes in aging aspens, and edible brush. I tried the Juniper berries, which tasted like clean and natural bitter gin.
The Adventure Rock, located in the Telluride Conference Center (970/369-6400) Plaza in Mountain Village, welcomes climbers of all abilities and ages from May 26th to October 22nd daily. For those with children who wish to climb, parents might want to come during the hours of 11am to 2pm when a monitor is present.
Telluride's Town Park (970/728-3071) houses a variety of activities just for adults and children. A community swimming pool, toddler pool, campgrounds, sand volleyball, tennis courts and basketball courts are open to the public. Bring the skateboards or rent a bike for the town's Skate Ramp, or burn off energy at the Imagination Station playground, open year-round.
Kids 12-years-old and under can try their hand at fishing at the Kid's Pond located at Telluride Town Park and at Elk Pond in Mountain Village. Each child is limited to a catch of a 4-trout and fishing rods can be checked out for free at the Information Center in Town Park. Most of the park's recreational activities run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but call ahead for specific hours and information before you plan out your day's activities.
Also at Telluride Town Park, kids ages 4 to 12 have the opportunity to become official Junior Rangers when they hike the Bear Creek Preserve with a local ranger and earn a badge at completion. A choice of themes includes wildlife, hiking, amazing mammals, wildflowers, aquatic life, tremendous trees, and more.
The Telluride Golf Course (970/728-2606, 136 Country Club Dr, Telluride, CO 81435), nestled 9,300 ft above sea level, offers stunning mountain views on a par 71, 18-hole resort course. Open from mid-May to early October, the course is located in the acclaimed Peaks Resort at Mountain Village. Tee off while surrounded by the highest concentration of 14,000-foot mountains in the United States. As the highest altitude championship golf course in North America some players may become a bit light-headed, but the air creates less resistance against the golf ball, resulting in up to 15% more distance. Sunset and twilight rates, lessons, golf outings, and clinics are also available.
Post your comment