Hotels near Telluride Regional Airport (TEX), Telluride

It’s hard to get to Telluride, but it’s well worth the trip. I have only been in the spring and summer, when the weather is fantastic. On my recent trip in early June Irma was in the 40’s when we woke with highs in the upper 60’s. The dry air made even the 40’s feel comfortable, especially as we were hiking most of the time. We stayed in Mountain Village, which is a more modern area with hotels, shops, restaurants and plaza seating. There was live music much of the time we were there. You can easily reach the main town with a short, free, beautiful gondola ride. The gondola stations have bathrooms and water bottle filling stations. Downtown Telluride is a gorgeous old mountain town surrounded by mountains. Plenty of cool restaurants and shops. We came to hike, and that couldn’t be better. We never used our car because we could walk or take the gondola to tons of amazing hikes. Our favorite was hiking over Bridal Veil falls, by a mining camp and up to Silver Lake rimmed with snow at 12,000 ft. You can do more challenging hikes, but there are also beautiful flat, paved and chat trails accessible to anyone. It seems like there is always something going on. They had Wild West Fest during our stay with live music and hot air balloons all through the main drag. It was fun to see them up close, but maybe cooler to look down from a departing gondola and see the lit up balloons. The gondola also goes to the Village Market, a full service grocery store. It was nice to be able to easily stock food and supplies. There is plenty more to do. They have mountain biking tracks. You can get an off-road tour, which in our case was every bit of adventure we could want. My wife and daughter paraglided right near our hotel. Neighboring towns are pretty and fun to visit. We hit Ouray this time. Mountain Village even has platform tennis courts. Access is free if you stay in Moubtain Village. I love Telluride and will be back.

I have been coming to Telluride for 26 years now. I have seen many changes over these years. Some amazing, some not so great. This past trip showed me that Telluride is maintaining the charm of a small town as it continues to grow. I love seeing the dogs everywhere. For a couple of years, some dog owners were less than careful about "picking up" after their scoobys. Likely tourists. Locals tend to respect and love the town and surroundings. I always love seeing the flowers everywhere. Mind you, I visit either Memorial Day weekend or Labor Day weekend. The FREE Box (FB moved a couple years ago) is an amazing gift to locals and travelers alike. My first year I visited Telluride, coming from FL, I didn't have a lot of heavy or warmer clothing. The Free Box allowed me to take a couple of items to wear during my month long visit and when I was leaving, I washed and returned the items so someone else could enjoy. Since then (26 yrs ago), the FB has grown to include many items. I have also had the opportunity to visit Ah Ha! I loved the art work. The library is amazing. The schools have great opportunities (at least during the festivals I've attended). Town Park, Elks Park, Ice Skating rink (though usually a theater when I attend over Labor Day), pool...so much to do. Oh then there's all the hiking and biking and more! Festival times, the streets are buzzing, and just as quickly, they go silent. Choose your visit accordingly. BOTH are treasures. Don't forget to look up! The night skies are illuminated with the moon and stars.

Telluride is a wonderful place to visit particularly for Film Festival. You can get a nice mix of culture and nature with good food and drink and exercise opportunities all with convenient access. It's getting a little expensive but the magnificent views and the gondola are free!