Telluride Colorado
Attractions | Telluride Cabins | Events | Restaurants
Telluride is a city in San Miguel County, Colorado. It is the most populated city in the county at 2,220 residents (according to the 2000 census). Telluride is surrounded by mountains, forests and cliffs. This little town started out as a mining city and is now most known for its ski resort and pop culture and music festivals.
History
In the 1600’s, Colorado was primarily inhabited by Ute Indians. Telluride is located beside the San Miguel River and was called “The Valley of Hanging Waterfalls” by the Indians. They lived off the land and used it to hunt, fish and farm. It was used as a summer camp by the Spanish explorers in the 1700’s and the Indians began to attract more explorers to the area in
Telluride Colorado
hopes of finding silver and gold. By the 1870’s miners had come to the area and the Sheridan Mine was opened in hopes of finding gold and silver in the area.
Gold was first found in 1850’s and then in the 1870’s Telluride received it’s official name. A metal known as Tellurium (metalloid with silver and gold deposits) was found in the area thus giving way to the name Telluride. After that gold and silver was spotted many western pioneers moved to the area. At one point there were more millionaires living in Telluride than there were living in New York.
The railroad came through Telluride in 1890 and once that was done the town grew even more. Immigrants started moving to the area in hopes of finding their fortune. Eventually the population grew to 5,000 residents. However, Telluride would soon hit a bad time. World War I had a huge impact on Telluride. Once the war ended the mining industry crashed and silver and gold prices went down. Miners moved out of the town to find better jobs and the population fell into the hundreds.
Telluride wouldn’t give up though. In the 1970’s a gold powder was beginning to be mined. Things started taking a turn for the better and with the Ski Resort (Ski Advice) opening in 1973 the town started receiving more residents and tourists. They started aiming towards skiing, festivals, music, arts, etc. The spirits started to pick back up and now Telluride is known for great skiing and perfect weather.
Telluride is a National Historic Landmark and has a high status in the history of the United States. It’s one of only 4 cities in Colorado that was designated as a historical landmark by the United States Secretary of the Interior. Some parts of Telluride are even eligible to be marked as National Park status.
Mountain Village
Mountain Villages is an intimate enclave with hotels, condos, and a few dining restaurants. Mountain village is home to hotels Lumiere and Capella. This European style village offers beautiful views and a quaint ambiance. Ski trails run through the town giving homes and condos access to ski slopes.
Population in Telluride CO is around 2,500 and Mountain Village is around 1,400. The two towns are connected by a free, scenic chondola. The 13-minute ride is used daily. Visiting Telluride and Mountain Village is very easy because of this type of transportation.
Weather
At 9,000 feet above sea level, Telluride CO weather is dominated by snow. On average, Telluride CO receive roughly 350 inches of snow each year. Typically, the winter temperature remains steady at about freezing (32 Degrees Fahrenheit). During the summer months the cool breeze doesn’t completely dissipate, but the temperature hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Being located in the Rocky Mountains, Telluride CO is mild cool during most of the summer.
Ski
The Telluride Ski Resortin Telluride Colorado is known internationally as a top destination. The terrain in Telluride is consider some of the best in Colorado. Because of more than 300 inches of snow a year, Telluride can offer more than 2,000 acres of skiing landscape. For more information about skiing in Telluride Colorado, please visit Telluride Ski Resort.