There's a reason Telluride consistently wins the accolades of magazines and the hearts of skiers—it's a top-tier ski town that still flies under most people's radar. Yet, with more than 2,000 skiable acres set like a jewel within a majestic box canyon, a low-key "Old West Vibe" and a town that offers five-star accommodations, spas, an entrepreneurial spirit and inventive cuisine, Telluride, Colorado, checks every box for travelers.
A December 2018 Conde Nast Traveler article, "Why Telluride Keeps Being Named the Best U.S. Ski Town," unveils the highlights that keep people coming back. There's the element of discovering a mountain unmarred by crowds and hoopla. To many skiers' chagrin, numerous major ski resort destinations have sold out or gone corporate - but not Telluride, which has miraculously maintained its unhurried regional character with practically no lift lines for decades. "The bigger the big boys get, the more Telluride flies under the radar, which suits folks here fine," writes Alex Bhattacharji.
For the sixth time in the last seven years, Conde Nast Traveler has been listing Telluride as a "top ski destination." The author also goes on to list the town's authenticity as one of its undeniable charms: "And here's the thing I had come to realize about Telluride: What it don't have, you don't want," writes Bhattacharji. "Free of crowds, ostentation, tracts of cookie-cutter condos and franchise mall fare like Nordstrom and Forever 21, Telluride is independent and feels that way."
Telluride's ski resort has also been on Forbes' "top ski destinations" list for a number of years. The most recent article, "The Top 10 Ski Resorts In North America For 2019," places Telluride at #2 on the Top Ten list. Teaming up with ZRankings.com, Forbes' qualifications include snowfall, terrain, crowds and town ambience.
According to Forbes, Telluride is an "alpha" when it comes to top-tier ski resort towns. "Telluride, for instance, sits at a high elevation and has good amounts of terrain that face north, which helps them preserve snow and stay cold even when the spring sun gains the upper hand from winter," writes author Christopher Steiner.
Citing its versatility, "Telluride's skiing serves skiers of varying abilities very well," writes Steiner. "Beginners and learners will love the wide aprons of snow at placid angles underneath the Chondola in Mountain Village, and Galloping Goose is one of the best green runs in the west that is a true ski run (not a cat track traverse) covering 4.6 miles as it meanders down from 11,800 feet."
As for its cultural side, according to Steiner, Telluride is "...stacked with venerable restaurants, shops and bars, along with a steady cycle of new haunts that keep all of the old standbys on their toes." And CNN Business plucked it out of a vast number of choices this past year when it named Telluride No. 2 on its "10 great destinations for combining work and play." Citing it as an incubator for entrepreneurs and boasting 29 startups since 2012, it's a community highly welcoming to investors and fledgling businesses.
There you have it from the experts — a ski resort with something for everybody.
For more great ideas on how to explore Telluride on your next vacation, contact SilverStar Telluride Luxury Rentals at 970-728-3001 or online.
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