A Taste of Telluride
Telluride is a really cool mountain town located in southwest Colorado. To us this felt like the “Switzerland of America” rather than the nearby town of Ouray. We arrived during the week of, and just before, the popular Jazz festival began. The streets were crowded and parking was a bit tricky with tight lots but we found a good spot close to a beautiful river walk. It follows along the San Miguel River and avoids having to walk the streets, strolling through a canopy of trees by the water instead. Eventually, this led to a hiking trail called Bear Creek Trail. This is a 4.5 mile wide trail with a steady incline, in and out of trees, to Bear Creek Falls.
This was a fun trail that wasn’t too demanding. And, although busy, the wide trail allowed for plenty of room to pass hikers with ease. About midway up we exchanged photo taking duties with another group to get a great shot with the trail and mountains behind us.
At the end of this out and back trail you’ll arrive at a pretty waterfall. Most people head straight up to it, Siobhan did. Though she got soaked while I took another path which led closer to the river where I got a nice vantage point of the falls.
On the way back you’ll notice what is in my opinion is the best view of the hike. This viewpoint has just about everything that makes a hike beautiful in it. From wildflowers growing through thick green grass, to a valley of trees leading to the river below, then breathtaking mountain views beyond.
After this nice, short hike we ate a light lunch at Smuggler Union Restaurant. This was OK but to be honest it wasn’t anything special. We continued on into town after our meal to checkout shops on the main strip. This town is very clean and felt safe throughout. We stopped at a few souvenir shops and a really nice local outdoor shop called Jagged Edge Mountain Gear which is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. There was even a nice little cafe/bookstore which I always enjoy going into.
Another nice thing about Telluride is that they offer a free gondola ride up to Mountain Village. It is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to midnight. Current summer dates are May 23rd to October 20th. We took a ride up to Mountain Village and wandered around the shops and restaurants. Then we took the gondola up to it’s last stop and back to the start, soaking in the views of the mountains around us. Even if you don’t have a destination, it’s worth taking the ride for the views alone.
A woman we spoke to at Mountain Village recommended a restaurant called Uno Dos Tres which we made our way to after our ride. This was a perfect spot to grab a couple tacos and a drink before finishing up our day in Telluride. It’s clearly where the locals go. They also have fair prices and tasty food. After eating (again!) we made our way back to the river walk on way to our truck, finishing what was a great day in this fun little mountain town.
