Active and restorative
Pair hard days on the canyon walls with deep recovery, and see the box canyon from the air in between.
Design This TripClimb the Telluride Via Ferrata with Mountain Trip, the only Telluride-based outfitter permitted on the route, clipping along the exposed canyon wall high above town, then hike the Jud Wiebe loop for a quieter ridge-top reset.
Book a tandem paragliding flight off the ski resort with Telluride Paragliding to see the box canyon from the air, the kind of view you cannot earn any other way.
Surrender to Colorado's largest spa at The Peaks, 32 treatment rooms of massage, heat and quiet, the perfect counterweight to the adrenaline. We sequence the effort and the recovery so they trade off cleanly.
What’s inside
A sample rhythm
The canyon wall
The Via Ferrata with Mountain Trip, high above town.
A quieter ridge
The Jud Wiebe loop for a panoramic box-canyon reset.
From the air
A tandem paragliding flight off the resort.
Recover
A long afternoon at Colorado's largest spa at The Peaks.
The Telluridewe’d build in
On foot
Telluride's trails climb straight from town to canyon waterfalls and aspen ridgelines, and the airy Via Ferrata threads the north wall above the valley for those who want exposure.
Town (east end)
A roughly 2-mile out-and-back climbing the canyon headwall to the 365-foot Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall, crowned by a historic power station.
Visit official siteTown (South Pine St)
An accessible, roughly 2-plus-mile route from downtown through Bear Creek Preserve to a cascading falls, threading aspen and pine groves with steady canyon views.
Visit official siteTown (Aspen St)
A roughly 3-mile loop right from town that climbs through dense aspen to a ridge with panoramic views of the box canyon, Bridal Veil Falls and surrounding peaks.
Visit official siteTown (canyon walls)
The exposed cable-and-rung route etched into the canyon's north wall above town, best done with Mountain Trip, the only Telluride-based outfitter permitted to guide it.
Visit official siteTown (canyon walls)
The Local Experts since 1986, running guided daily Via Ferrata trips with full equipment, instruction and rope protection on the airy traverse.
Visit official siteThe signature days
Beyond the slopes, Telluride offers 4x4 climbs to ghost towns and alpine passes, scenic helicopter flights, tandem paragliding off the resort and snowmelt rafting on the San Miguel.
Black Bear and Ophir are the reliable high-alpine 4x4 passes; Imogene Pass remains affected by 2024 road damage, so outfitters adjust itineraries to current conditions.
Town
Guided 4x4 tours to the Tomboy ghost town and high alpine passes, the most popular a half-day climb up the old mining road above town.
Visit official siteTown
Private off-road Jeep tours to iconic objectives like Black Bear Pass, Ophir Pass and the Alta ghost town, with itineraries adjusted to current pass conditions.
Visit official siteTelluride Airport / The Peaks
Fifteen-minute scenic helicopter flights over the San Juans for up to four or five passengers, departing from The Peaks or the Telluride Airport.
Visit official siteMountain Village / resort
The only permitted, fully insured commercial tandem paragliding operator launching from the ski resort, billed as the highest-elevation paragliding school in the country.
Visit official siteTown
Half-day to two-day whitewater trips through Class II-III rapids on the snowmelt-fed San Miguel, a hands-on paddling river running a short late-spring-to-summer season.
Visit official siteTown and Mountain Village
The free, wind-powered 12-minute gondola linking the two towns over Coonskin Ridge, the only system of its kind in the U.S. and a scenic ride in its own right.
Visit official siteSpa and stillness
Telluride's resort spas are built for recovery at elevation, from a Forbes-rated alpine sanctuary to the largest spa in the state, with quieter in-residence options too.
Mountain Village
An alpine-inspired sanctuary with locally made botanicals, signature massages and an altitude-easing treatment; treatments over a set minimum unlock the Alpine Swim Club.
Visit official siteMountain Village
Colorado's largest spa and fitness center, with 32 treatment rooms, a full hair and nail salon and an enormous menu of massage, facial and recovery services.
Visit official siteMountain Village
Personalized spa and in-room treatments at the boutique Lumiere, ideal for guests who prefer privacy and a curated, low-key wellness experience.
Visit official siteMountain Village
On-site massage, a hot tub and post-adventure recovery at Mountain Lodge, convenient for guests staying in the lodge's cabins and condos.
Visit official siteMountain Village
The Madeline's heated outdoor pool and hot tubs set against the San Juans, an unhurried place to soak and acclimate that spa guests can unlock with a treatment.
Visit official siteRegional (Ridgway)
A scenic-detour recovery option down valley near Ridgway, with natural geothermal soaking pools, a serene mountain setting and a longer day of restoration beyond the resort spas.
On the mountain
Consistently rated among North America's best for terrain and uncrowded slopes, Telluride spans two base areas, with a celebrated school and heli access to the backcountry beyond.
Town and Mountain Village
A celebrated Epic-Pass resort spanning steep expert chutes to gentle groomers across two base areas, rated among North America's best for terrain and uncrowded slopes.
Visit official siteTown and Mountain Village
The resort's official school offering private and group lessons for ages two and up, children's programs and elite biomechanics-based specialty camps.
Visit official siteTelluride Airport / The Peaks
Colorado's premier heli-ski and snowcat operation since 1982, accessing more than 200 square miles of untracked San Juan backcountry with seasoned guides.
Visit official siteTown (regional)
The local AMGA-affiliated experts for backcountry ski touring, avalanche education and private guiding across the Telluride, Ouray and Silverton zones.
Visit official siteTown
A Telluride-based, AMGA-accredited guide service operating since 1973, offering private alpine instruction, backcountry touring and expedition logistics.
Visit official site
Adventure & Wellness
Share what you can already picture. A concierge fills in everything still open and sends back a plan, not a quote.
