Tucked away in a box canyon, Telluride is a historic Victorian mining town in southern Colorado, but the beauty of the area is best discovered on foot. Surrounded by craggy peaks and a waterfall as the backdrop to downtown, some of the best hikes in Telluride offer picturesque views and leave right from town.
Telluride is a compact town that has a lot of historic charm, stunning scenery, and a lively music scene packed inside. During the summer months, the town transforms into a music mecca. A festival, hosted in a small town park strewn with lights, takes over most weekends. It’s small enough to be intimate, but big enough to bring in more famous headlines. There’s enough room to spread out a a blanket and chairs and have room to dance while being able to see the stage.
Before heading in the gates, I like to plan a hike and get a little exercise in. I don’t count dancing as exercise, but there’s that too. There are several hikes that are easily accessible from town. Just be warned, they are both beautiful and quite popular. Set out for your destination earlier in the day to avoid too many people. Here are some of the best hikes in Telluride.
Bear Creek Falls
Bear Creek Falls is one of the best hikes in Telluride. The trail starts in town and ends at a huge waterfall, so while beautiful, it’s also busy.
You can pick up the trail at the end of South Pine Street. The wide dirt trail winds through aspen and pine forests in the Bear Creek Preserve. It’s a total of 2.5 miles of climbing over 1,000 feet (5 mile round trip hike). Eventually, the trail ends at Bear Creek Falls, a wide waterfall that cascades 80 feet down a tiered rock face.
Bridal Veil Falls
As the tallest free-falling waterfall in Colorado, Bridal Veil Falls plunges 365 feet. It’s so big that it can be seen from main street in downtown Telluride. Getting to the top of falls involves 2 miles and about 1,300 feet of climbing up switchbacks on a jeep road. At about 1.2 miles is a great viewpoint of the base of the falls that is often shrouded in mist from the pool below it. It’s another 0.8 miles up the steep, rocky, and exposed road to the top of Bridal Veil Falls. At least for this section, you are rewarded with views of the Telluride Valley.
The Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plan is perched on top of the falls. The historic building was constructed in 1907. It powered the company’s mines until the 1950’s and still stands at the top of the falls today.
To access Bridal Veil Falls, drive east on Colorado Avenue through downtown Telluride to the end of the box canyon for about 2 miles. Continue past the Pandora Mill site to a large unmarked parking area.
Jud Wiebe Memorial Trail
A 3 mile loop located on the north side of town, the Jud Wiebe trail provides views of the mountains and town of Telluride. Though short in distance, the trail climbs steadily through aspen groves and spruce forests about 1,200 feet above the valley floor. Luckily, there’s a bench with sweeping views over Telluride at the highest point in the trail. It’s a great place to rest and enjoy the views before the descent. The trail starts on the north end of Aspen Street and ends at Tomboy Road.
Plan Your Trip
Check out the events calendar to coordinate a trip around an art or music festival. Festival or not, Telluride is worth checking out any time of year.
If you love to hike, check out the Blue Lakes Trail, about an hour away from Telluride, or head over to the quaint and quiet town of Ouray for some stunning scenery and peaceful soaks.