Telluride resort guide

How big is Telluride?

Telluride has 147 trails served by 18 lifts — 10th for trails of the 15 resorts we track in the USA. On lifts it ranks 11th of the 15.

How high is Telluride?

The lifts run from 8,750ft at the base to 12,713ft at the top, a vertical of 3,963ft. Of the 15 resorts we track in the USA, that is the 2nd highest, with the 4th biggest vertical.

A base above 5,906ft is high by Alpine standards, so the runs back to the village hold their snow better than at lower resorts.

Is Telluride good for beginners or experts?

The trails at Telluride split 23% beginner, 36% intermediate and 41% advanced, against an average of 19% beginner and 42% advanced across the resorts we track in the USA.

On those numbers it suits confident skiers and riders looking for steep terrain.

For backcountry and off-piste, our guide documents 4 zones at Telluride, with the lift to take and the avalanche risk for each.

When is the ski season at Telluride?

Over the last ten winters Telluride has typically held skiable snow at mid-mountain from around December 14 to May 15, about 154 days.

March is the best all-round month on the record, with an average base of 34in, 20in of new snow and 3.5 bluebird days.

What is the nearest airport to Telluride?

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Telluride Regional (TEX), 6 mi away in a straight line. Montrose Regional (MTJ) is 40 mi, Durango La Plata County (DRO) is 55 mi, City of Colorado Springs Municipal (COS) is 179 mi. Road distances are longer, often much longer in the mountains, and the nearest airport is not always the one with the most flights.

How much is a lift ticket at Telluride?

A 6-day adult Telluride lift ticket costs $1,970 for 2025/26, or $328 a day. For value it ranks 11th of the 15 resorts we price in the USA.