Visitor reviews for Telluride Ski Resort

• March 01, 2018
  KR from United States
  

  Telluride has been my go to mountain for 11 years. When it's good, it's amazing. The town is great, the food is good and expensive as to be expected. The vibe is very chilled here and you can't go wrong.....except. It sits at the very western edge of the San Juan Mountains in Southwestern Colorado. All the amazing facilities in the world can't make up for Telluride's fickle and often thin snow. I have enjoyed many wonderful powder days in Telluride, but I have used my rock skis more here than any other resort in the west. The 2017/2018 winter is by far the most dismal snow year at Telluride in my 11 years of skiing here... I am a Utah skier and good snow trumps every other aspect of a ski trip. If the snow is good, everything is good!

• Telluride Ratings

  Overall: 4.4. Based on 6 votes and 9 reviews. Vote

  Access: 3.0 (1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Telluride.	Public Transport: 4.2 (1) There are no buses or taxis to Telluride, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.
  Scenery: 5.0 (1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.	Accommodation: 4.8 (1) No places to stay in/near Telluride, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 3.2 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 4.8 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Telluride.
  Ski in/Ski out: 5.0 (1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.	Childcare: 4.8 (1) There are no child care facilities at Telluride, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 4.2 (1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Telluride is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 4.2 (1) Telluride relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.
  Snow Grooming: 5.0 (1) There are no snow groomers at Telluride, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Telluride are groomed daily.	Shelter: 4.0 (1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Telluride is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.
  Nearby options: 2.7 (1) If snow conditions are poor at Telluride, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.	Regional rating: 4.2 (1) Telluride usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.
  Lift Staff: 5.0 (1) The staff at Telluride are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Telluride are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.	Crowds/Queues: 5.0 (1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.
  Ski Schools: 5.0 (1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.	Hire and Repairs: 4.8 (1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.
  Variety of pistes: 5.0 (1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Telluride has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.	Beginners: 4.8 (1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.
  Intermediates: 5.0 (1) No intermediate terrain at Telluride, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 5.0 (1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.
  Snow Park: 4.5 (1) Not even a kicker at Telluride, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.	Off-piste: 4.8 (1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.
  Cross-country: 4.0 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Telluride, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 2.3 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Telluride has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 4.8 (1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.	Eating: 4.8 (1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.
  Apres-Ski: 4.7 (1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.	Other Sports: 4.0 (1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.
  Entertainment: 4.7 (1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.	Winter Walks: 4.2 (1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.
  Ski Pass Value: 3.5 (1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.	Value (National): 3.7 (1) Overall, Telluride is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.
  Value (Global): 4.0 (1) Overall, Telluride is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

  Show all 35 ratings

• February 10, 2017
  Jon B from United States
  

  We are a family that has skied all over the world for many decades. We had a horrible experience at Telluride ski school. Instructor was rude, nasty, unhelpful. In our experience, instructors are usually wonderful. Mark G; stay away from him at all costs! Awful. Ski school stated to us that they were embarrassed by his behaviour and they should be.

• February 27, 2012
  Steve Curtiss from United States
  

  Telluride - First visit west in several years. Have to say impressed with the variety of terrain and great views. They are a tad proud of their food but "pricey" is usually expected at ski areas. You can find bargains and even at the prices the portions are usually more than filling. From the greens to the blacks and through the trees the skiing is marvelous and a week is difficult to get it all in.
  We stayed at the Aspen Street Inn, a quaint and convenient bed & breakfast which is minutes from the main gondola. Good people, food and very comfortable.
  Good restaurants are also minutes away plus a fantastic gallery of local art and unique photography is just around the corner. Take a few minutes in Telluride and check out Kamruz Gallery on Colorado St. You'll find something you like that isn't the normal tourist attraction.
  Telluride is a skier's resort and a great vacation. Get off the I-70 track and make tracks at Telluride.

• March 25, 2011
  Susan & Curtis from United States
  

  We are getting ready to go to Telluride for our 3rd time in 1 yr. We love Telluride and based on the many avid skiers I spoke with who have been to the other popular spots, they tend to favor it also. I had never skied prior to Jan 2010. Telluride offered great beginner slopes and allowed me to progress very quickly with gradual degrees of difficulty. We had such a great time we went back in March 2010. Jan 2011 we went to Avoriaz, France which is located on the Swiss boarder, in the Northern French Alps, in the largest network of resorts (Portes du Soleil). It is known to be an international hot spot. Although we had a great time in Avoriaz, we like Telluride best. We found it easier to get around and the trails were well marked. It has much to offer for all levels of skiing abilities. We liked not having to rent a car. We flew into Montrose, CO and took a shuttle service to Telluride. There is a gondola that goes across the mountain between Mountain Village and Telluride. There is also a shuttle that runs a loop around Telluride about every 15 min. Both the gondola and the shuttle are open from 7 am until midnight everyday. As far a value we choose to stay at the Victorian Inn. It is convenient, great value for you $. It offers clean, simple accommodations, continental breakfast, hot tub and sauna. You can also get discounts on lift tickets and equipment through them. If you are looking for fancy accommodations, you might check out the Lumiere hotel in Mountain Village. We stayed there our first trip and would give it 5 out of 5 stars! However, it is pricey. We ski all day so our room is only used to shower, dress and sleep. We found that it wasn't worth spending the money for a fancy room that we were only in to shower, dress and sleep.

• February 25, 2011
  AB from United Kingdom
  

  Spent 5 days here Feb 2011 and had 22 inches of fresh.

  Stayed in the mountain village at the Peaks Spa - great and def. 5* service, but I think next time I would stay in the town of Telluride to take advantage of the genuine atmosphere and bars/restaurants etc. The mountain village was a little too quiet in the evenings - I'm not a party animal, but it was lifeless/artificial even for me. The free gondola will take care of all transport needs - I timed it at 12 minutes from town to village and even less than that from town to access slopes.

  Skiing will cater for all needs. I had the benefit of lots of fresh but even without that I can see the merits. For beginners, veeeery long greens to learn/practice off the Sunshine lift. I skied them at the end of long days to get home - they were wide, gentle and empty. Improvers will like the same sort of thing: long and empty blues off Polar Queen lift and Town Lift, intermediates and bolder skiers will enjoy black and some double black runs - most not of a scary pitch or through pleasantly spaced trees, plus 2 bowls to keep you happy in case the powder falls, experts: lots of chutes, although I'm not convinced the Gold Hill chutes deserve their double black EX status, confident intermediates could tackle 1, 2 and 9 (the only ones I did as others were closed) and plenty of out of bounds terrain - easily accessible.

  3 terrain parks: from beginners to 'what the f***', ramps, rails, table tops etc. All easily accessible from town lift.

  Dining on mountain is varied: Alpino Vino is very expensive and a little pretentious albeit delicious, Giuseppe's feels like a slacker hut - untidy/bashed about a bit but served good booze and warming grub in a v relaxed atmosphere, Gorrono is the major spot for lunches etc - inside self-service restaurant does the usual stuff, outside snack hut plus original saloon bar with limited food menu (but great feel to it), Allred's: incredibly expensive for sit down meal but good for apres-ski 4-6pm happy hours with tipsy clients, atmosphere and great views of sunsets.

  I'd definitely come back again; very pretty resort w lots of trees, great genuine town, good variety of terrain (for my needs: confident intermediate) & fun bars/apres.

• January 26, 2010
  Chris F from United States
  

  Just got back from 3 days skiing at Telluride with 27 inches of new snow during the trip!

  This mountain has something for everyone. Nice long beginner trails off lift 10, several terrain parks for shredders of all abilities, excellent intermediate area off lift 5 & lift 14, steeps & glades off the apex chair, long expert bump runs on the Telluride side (Plunge & Bushwacker off lift 8 & 9), extreme terrain off Gold Hill chutes & the hike-to terrain, and open bowl skiing off the new Revelation Bowl lift. The views from the top will leave you gaping, too. The ridge trail, See Forever, was given its name for good reason.

  Lodging is available in Telluride & Mountain Village. Both areas are pricey but I prefer Telluride for it's charm. Mountain Village is newer & a bit pretentious for my liking.

  There are tons of dining choices but they tend to run pricey, even by ski resort standards. The quality of food is top notch though, we didn't have a single even mediocre meal anywhere.

  Lift access is only OK. My only beef was the dead end at lifts 12 & 14 with no skiable access back to the base. This is especially bad for beginners because lift 12's easiest route down is intermediate & lift 14's easiest route down is not well marked. In general, trail markings are not great so it's easy to get lost or miss a trail you had planned to ski.

  Other than pricey food/lodging & so-so lift access, the mountain itself is fantastic. The town of Telluride is great & if you have money to burn, Mountain Village has a wealth of upscale lodging choices. It's worth saving up for, especially if you get good snow like I did this last trip. Highly recommended!

• January 28, 2006
  Rod from United States
  

  The quintessential ski town, both charming and authentic. Rugged comfort. Drop-dead views all the way around. The only more striking mountain scene I've witnessed is the Matterhorn, as viewed from Zermatt. A very diverse ski area, with something for everyone. Lift 9 serving the Plunge, Bushwhacker, Spiral Stairs, etc. Will test most. Surely the best in North America!

• November 07, 2005
  Kevin from United States
  

  Some of the best/toughest skiing around. You have bump runs for over a mile. Gold Hill has some of the best double-black/extreme stuff in the country. And the town is by far the best ski-town in the US. None of that shishi crap like Aspen or those "pre-fab" ski towns like Vail, Whistler, and Beavercreek.

  If you have the dough you have to check out the heli-skiing - only one of two places that have heli-skiing in the US. Telluride is surrounded by the most 14k foot mountains in the country so you get some unbelievable skiing with views.

• March 15, 2005
  Lenny from United States
  

  IT IS THE BEST, I'VE SKIED IN FRANCE, ALL OVER THE US,BUT NOTHING COMES CLOSE TO LOOKING DOWN AT THE TOP OF THE PLUNGE AND ONLY SEEING TOWN AND YOUR SKI TIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!