Telluride, Colorado

In downtown Telluride

Nestled in a U-shaped valley etched out by millions of years of glacial activity, the rustic Victorian town of Telluride is crowned by crystal-clear waterfalls that plummet more than 365 feet to become the headwaters of the San Miguel River. Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall, Bridal Veil Falls, and Ingram Falls together add a sense of beauty refined through the spray and mists that dance in the wind to this high Alpine countryside.

Ingram and Bridal Veil Falls in the San Miguel Cirque

The Ute Indians were the first folks to come to know this area and they were followed in the 1760's by Spanish explorers such as Juan Rivera and the Friars Dominguez and Escalante. The fur trade held sway here during the 1820's to 1840's, then came a few settlers in the 1860's. However, come 1875, hordes of prospectors swarmed all over the mountains and canyons here hunting out the mother lode of gold or silver. Many tons of ore were removed from these mountains but only a few men made any money.

The present architecture reflects many of the buildings that were constructed during Telluride's days as a gold mining Mecca. The boarding houses, warehouse district, railroad depot, gambling halls, bath houses and crib houses attest to the rough and rugged past of this gorgeous mountain oasis. For that matter, this is where Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch robbed their first bank in 1889.

Since 1972, the Telluride Ski & Golf Company has built one of the best, visitor-friendly golf and ski resorts in the world. Summertime is filled with Bluegrass, Jazz, Chamber, Rock 'n Roll and other music festivals. There are also Wild West and Tech fests, foot races and craft shows happening all summer, earning Telluride the moniker of "Festival Capital of Colorado." Winter brings on the downhill skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, tubing, ice skating, ice climbing and fishing... the list is long.