The San Juan Mountains are a beautiful place to hike during the summer, and Telluride is the ideal place to base your mountain vacation. Wildflowers are at their height beginning in early July. Year-round mountaineering, trekking, and climbing schools provide backcountry and technical skills for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. There are trails of every difficulty available from town and an abundance of magnificent options just a short drive away from Telluride.

Remember to always arm yourself with plenty of water, snacks and a good raincoat. Even the sunniest mornings can turn into stormy afternoons, so don’t head out unprepared.

Telluride Newb | Season 1 | EP 31 from Open Exposure on Vimeo.

Hiking from Town
Due to Telluride's unique location, many great hikes start right from town. Check out our Top 5 favorite hikes in Telluride!

San Miguel River Trail
Families with young children or anyone who might enjoy a peaceful and relatively flat trail may wish to try the San Miguel River Trail which now stretches from the Valley Floor on the west along the river through Telluride and out to the Idarado Legacy trail on the east side of town.

Bear Creek Canyon
This area is a 325-acre mountain canyon that has been preserved forever by the town's Telluride Land Trust. This precious parcel, with its stunning scenery and cascading waterfall is now protected from development and is preserved for the enjoyment of the public.
Distance: 2.5 mi. one way
Elevation: 1,050 feet
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Access: Trailhead starts at south end of Pine Street. Follow Bear Creek up scenic canyon to the beautiful waterfall and the trailhead for the strenuous Wasatch Trail.

Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls can only be seen from the far east end of the canyon, or from one of the trails on the north side of town. These falls drop an impressive 365 feet, the tallest free-falling waterall in Colorado.
Distance: 2.2 mi. one way to top of falls
Elevation: 1,650
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Access: Start from the Pandora Mill at the east end of Hwy. 145 (main street) where the asphalt ends. Hikers continue on dirt road 1.2 miles to bottom of falls, or 2.2 miles to top. Trail to Bridal Veil Basin continues past privately owned historic building at top of falls, and from there continues on to Blue and Silver Lakes.

Cornet Falls
Distance: 1/4 mi. round-trip
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Access: North end of Aspen. Stay to the right and do not cross the bridge to Jud Wiebe, but continue up on the right hand side of the river until you reach the falls.

Jud Wiebe Trail
Distance: 2.7 mi. loop
Elevation Gain: 1,150 feet
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Access: From the north end of Aspen St., cross the bridge and start heading west on the trail. The trail loops above town with views of Bridal Veil and Ingram Falls. Continue to Tomboy Road, turning right back to town.

Liberty Bell
Distance: 8 mi. round-trip
Elevation Gain: 3,620 ft.
Difficulty: Difficult
Access: Jud Wiebe Trailhead

Ajax Peak
Distance: 2.5 mi. one-way
Elevation Gain: 2,785 feet
Difficulty: Difficult

Trails in Bridal Veil Basin
Park near the power plant at the top of Bridal Veil Falls and go through the gate that leads to the power plant. Follow the trail along the river to enjoy spectacular wildflowers and scenery. You can follow trails to Silver Lake, Blue Lake and Lewis Mine.

Other Area Hiking Trails
Hundreds of miles of hiking trails extend throughout the region.  Listed is a small sampling of day hikes. For complete information and maps, contact the Norwood Forest Ranger Station, 327-4261. Topography maps and guides are available at Telluride Sports in town. 

Eider Creek
Distance: 1.6 mi.
Difficulty: Moderate
Access: Head west from Telluride on Hwy 145. Turn right across from the Shell station and park at the end of the long westward switchback. This is the trail end. Hike up from your car on the road to the trail head on your left just before the road ends. Continue on the trail for approximately 30 minutes, where you will turn left to head up the Eider Creek trail. Expect to spend 2-2.5 hours on the loop and end where you car is parked.

Navajo Lake
Distance: 5 mi. to the lake
Elevation Gain: 1,714 ft
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Access: Dunton Road Trailhead, off HWY 145
This is a great hike through beautiful open meadows and then up a few steep switchbacks to a pristine alpine lake.

Lake Hope
Distance: 7 mi. round trip
Difficulty: Moderate but high altitude
Access: Hwy. 145 to Trout Lake. Follow the road around the lake for 1.5 miles and turn left on Forest Service Road #627. Follow the road 15-20 minutes through several switchbacks until you see a parking area and trailhead. This hike is abundaunt in wildflowers, passes several streams and affords some outstanding views. Above timberline, Lake Hope is man-made and stores water for the Ames Power plant.

Woods Lake
Distance: 4 mi.
Difficulty: Moderate
Access: Hwy. 145 to Placerville, left at Fall Creek Road,follow for 8 mi. to Woods Lake. Trailhead left of the picnic area. Extensive views of the southwestern edge of the San Juan Range. The trail becomes difficult as it continues to Navajo Lake.