Which ski resort has something for everyone?
As North America’s largest provider of ski vacations, we get this question a lot. In our book, there’s only one resort that checks every box. For us, and many others, including Forbes, it’s Telluride Ski Resort in Colorado.
“Virtually every major ski resort claims to be all things to all people, but this is rarely true, and most are lacking something, be it beginners slopes or ultra-advanced steeps. More than any other mountain in the country, Telluride truly has something for everyone—and lots of those somethings.” – Forbes
The resort’s naturally divided terrain ranges from some of the United States’ best and most challenging chutes, bowls and steeps to mid mountain’s ego bumps and wide-open, see-forever blues to a large offering of isolated, gentle beginner terrain. Because Telluride is a resort that offers every terrain stripe in spades, we compiled a list of the best of Telluride’s terrain in each category to help you get to your brand of slope off the bat.
Telluride’s best expert terrain
Expert terrain preferences come in a variety of styles and textures, from adventurous, steep and fast or bumpy technical and tight or deep and wide open. Whichever type of terrain you dream of at night, Telluride has at least a handful of picture-perfect zones sure to draw a Grinch-like smile. Oh, and did we mention Telluride has heli skiing?
Steeps
Gold Hill 1
Best Lift Access: Revelation Lift
Located off the spiny arm of Palmyra Peak, Gold Hill 1 is an exhilarating double-black diamond run. The diciest and most exciting part of the ride is the pucker-worthy entrance.
Spiral Stairs
Best Lift Access: Plunge Lift
Offering great views of downtown Telluride below and a seemingly endless, steep mogul run, Spiral Stairs will certainly get the heart pumping. For the ultimate challenge, see if you can maneuver through the reefy, mini-cliff section mid-run without stopping.
Bushwacker and The Plunge
Best Lift Access: Plunge Lift
Wax your skis, sharpen your edges, channel your inner Bode Miller and head to Bushwacker or The Plunge for some of Ski Country’s steepest groomers.
Chutes
Gold Hill Chutes
Best Lift Access: Revelation Lift
Whether you’re willing to hike a bit or looking for a quick thrill, the chutes between Gold Hill Express and Palmyra Peak provide access to terrain typically not experienced inbounds at other resorts. Access some of the closer runs like Little Rose and Andy’s Gold by traversing from the top of Revelation Bowl. Insider’s tip: on Little Rose, stay high on the shadier left side of the gully to milk powder turns. The Gold Hill Chutes require a short to moderate hike along a relatively flat ridge. The closer you get to Palmyra along the ridge, the steeper the chutes get. All the chutes funnel out into wide-open, un-groomed bowls, so watch your speed or you might have a high-alpine yard sale.
Moguls
Frontside (Townside) moguls
Best Lift Access: Plunge Lift
To experience Telluride’s famous frontside moguls, take your pick of Mammoth, Kant-Mak-M or Spiral Stairs to Lower Plunge. Mammoth is not as steep as some of its counterparts, but the bumps are beastly. Should we say mammoth-like? The expert-skier traffic that flows under the Plunge Lift shapes the bumps on Kant-Mak-M into mogul perfection. Be warned: if you attempt these monster moguls and lose, you’ll either get heckled or applauded.
Allais Alley or Zulu Queen
Best Lift Access: Apex Lift
Bag quick mogul laps along Allais Alley and/or Zulu Queen. These slopes start out steep and level out closer to the lift, but the moguls only get bigger as you descend.
Powdery Bowls
Revelation Bowl
Best Lift Access: Revelation Lift
A great area for advanced intermediates and powder pursuers, Revelation Bowl is wide open with a groomed run on one side so skiers can dip on and off of the ungroomed terrain. It’s a shorter run by Telluride standards, but the views are incredible. In fact, the most challenging part may be keeping your eyes on the slopes in front of you.
Black Iron Bowl
Best Lift Access: Prospect Lift
For playful, challenging terrain, head to Black Iron Bowl, which is located skier’s left of Palmyra Peak. Here, you can enjoy couloir skiing and technical chutes and rocks, all of which converge into an open powder bowl. Accessing this area requires a 30-second to 20-minute hike and contains some of the best snow after a storm, which always sweetens the effort. From the avalanche gate, it’s also possible to hike for another 30-plus minutes to the 13,320-foot Palmyra Peak summit, but this is only recommended for those truly experienced in extreme skiing.
Telluride Helitrax
Boasting heli access to 200 square miles of sweet San Juan terrain, Telluride Helitrax provides the ultimate icing on the cake for adventurous skiers and snowboarders. Helitrax takes clients to the peaks and wide-open snowfields across the basin from Revelation Bowl, and it’s common to see heli skiers making perfect “S” turns from the resort. Intermediate trips are also available—heli-skiing in Telluride is not just for experts!
Telluride’s best intermediate terrain
Offering an array of confidence-building bump runs and dark blue-rated trails, Telluride is a veritable sanctuary for intermediates and advanced intermediates looking to progress their skills. Intermediates less inclined to push themselves have their fill of scenic, wide-open cruisers, which provide excellent photo opportunities and access to some of Ski Country’s best on-mountain dining.
Progressive blue runs
Polar Queen Express Zone
Best Lift Access: Polar Queen Express
For a nice collection of ego bumps, head to the Polar Queen Express. Make your way to Lower Happy Thought, Dew Drop and Polar Queen. These runs are great for intermediates ready to test their skills, or acquire them, on some forgiving moguls. The trails aren’t too long, and there are enough options to keep it interesting every run. When you’ve had enough, Bon Vivant’s umbrella bar is the most delightful setting to enjoy a well-deserved lunch.
Prospect Express Zone
Best Lift Access: Prospect Express
For steep, groomed blue runs, head to the Prospect Express. Here, you have a nice array of playful, rolling terrain. This area also features Telluride’s best intermediate to advanced-intermediate glades.
Wide-open cruisers
Village Express blue runs
Best Lift Access: Village Express
Misty Maiden, Peek-a-boo and pretty much every other blue run off the Village Express offer picture-perfect groomers—great for lapping all day.
See Forever
Best Lift Access: Revelation Lift
Four different lifts provide high-alpine access to this uber-long, scenic groomer. To get the most vertical and the best views, start from the Revelation Lift. Following the ridgeline along the upper reaches of the resort, See Forever is a popular trail and a main thoroughfare to access downtown Telluride and Mountain Village, so it’s best when skied in the morning. There’s nothing like carving big G.S. turns on See Forever.
Telluride’s best beginner terrain
It’s rare that a resort so well-rated for experts also provides an impressive gamut of exceptional beginner options. This is what makes Telluride such a great place for families and couples in which at least one person is a seasoned skier or snowboarder and the others are looking to learn the ropes. Never evers at Telluride even have their own designated learning area complete with their own Chondola. Beginners also love Telluride because almost every green run is separated from the blues and blacks.
Learn-to-ski areas
Chondola Zone
Best Lift Access: Chondola
Offering three wide, gentle slopes, the area beneath the Chondola is where ski school introduces first timers to skiing or snowboarding. Newbies can learn in a comfortable, quiet setting, as this zone is separated from more challenging greens, blues and blacks.
Scenic, long green trails
Double Cabin and Bridges
Best Lift Access: Sunshine Express
Bridges is especially fun for kids because the trail crosses beneath road tunnels a few times. The kid-friendly Enchanted Forest is also located just off the top of Double Cabin. Note: Enchanted Forest is rated blue.
Galloping Goose
Best Lift Access: Prospect Express
Telluride’s longest run, Galloping Goose gently descends for 4.6 miles from the top of Prospect Bowl to the bottom of Sunshine Express. This trail offers spectacular views and really low traffic because it isn’t skied by intermediates or experts.
This winter, we dare you to test the claim that Telluride offers the widest—and best—variety of terrain in Ski Country. Book your trip today! Start by building a customized quote here. If you have additional questions, our Mountain Travel Experts are standing by at 800-610-8911.
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