Have you heard of Telluride, Colorado?! Unless you avidly seek out small mountain towns or epic ski adventures, you may not have heard of this tiny place in southwest Colorado called Telluride. Coming from Southern California, we certainly hadn’t.

That is, until we did. And, cliché as it sounds, it was love at first sight! We spent three weeks of blissful vanlife in the area, in August 2019.

Summer in Telluride is not just for the wealthy. Van living and camping is excellent here, if you know where to look. The local community makes an admirable effort to provide both free and budget-friendly options, in order to include travelers of all needs. Here’s our guide to exploring the town of Telluride, CO and Mountain Village, CO (hereafter referred to together as “Telluride”) on a budget!

Get Oriented

Telluride, CO and Mountain Village, CO are often interchangeable and known together simply as Telluride, but they have very different vibes.

The town of Telluride sits at the bottom of a box canyon, which means it is surrounded by picturesque steep cliffs and mountain sides. This is the quintessential mountain town, with shops, bars, restaurants and services ranging from yoga to real estate offices. This former mining town has an interesting history that the town is rightfully very proud of. You’re more likely to find locals here, living their daily life amongst throngs of tourists.

Mountain Village is more like a European-style mountain resort (the Telluride Ski Resort, specifically), complete with adventure sports, luxurious spas and fancy dining options. The town sits at 9,545 feet, surrounded by the highest concentration of 13,000- and 14,000- foot peaks in North America, so you can just imagine the views! Mountain Village is truly designed for the constant in and out of tourists looking for a luxurious, care-free, mountain oasis vacation.

The good news is that you don’t have to pick between these two very different communities. Back in the 1980s, the brains behind the Telluride Ski Resort built a massive gondola to connect Telluride and Mountain Village. This gondola is free, pet-friendly and bike-friendly! The only public transportation of its kind in North America. So, you can ditch your car in any of the free all-day parking lots in either Telluride or Mountain Village and explore everything by foot or by bike!

Don’t like heights? The two towns are also connected by the San Juan Bypass, about a 10-minute drive.

 “Lodging” Options (aka Where to Stay Overnight)

There are many hotels, lodges and condos in Telluride and Mountain Village. Your options increase if you have a fat wallet to spend, but this isn’t that kind of article. If you’re looking to save some dough, and are happy to camp or sleep in your vehicle, there are many much more affordable options.

Before you decide to skip this section because you’re “just going to pull over in your vehicle somewhere” – alas, neither Telluride or Mountain Village allow staying overnight in your vehicle, unless you’re at a campsite. Even if you find overnight parking for your vehicle, you cannot overnight inside the vehicle. So, read on for camping options, not because you want to spread out your tent, but because you will need a place to park your vehicle (and your butt) overnight.

Town Park – Camping is first come, first served at Town Park. It’s $33 per night for vehicle sites ($20 for Seniors 59+) or $19 for walk-in sites ($14 for Seniors). Taxes are included in these amounts. The vehicle sites have no hook ups. The walk-in sites are for those able to carry in their tent and belongings across a bridge – you must leave your car in the parking lot. Showers are $3 (in quarters) for 5 minutes of hot water. The Town Park is home to many of Telluride’s outdoor activities, such as a swimming pool, skating rink, various courts/fields, playgrounds, and much more. Most of these amenities are available whether or not you’re camping here.

Mary E Campground – Free, first come, first served, with a 7-day maximum. It’s only 8 miles west of Telluride. There are 15 sites, but you’ve got to drive through some bumpy dirt roads to get to them. On busy weekends this campground fills up, so plan ahead so that you can find an alternative if it’s full. Only vehicles less than 22’ are allowed. There are picnic tables and porta-potties, though no wood or charcoal fires are allowed.

Caddis Flats Campground – Free, first come, first served, with a 14-day maximum. It’s 18 miles west of Telluride, in Placerville, CO. We stayed here almost two weeks, driving back and forth to Telluride every other day for internet access and in-town errands. The site has three RV-sized spots, but a sizable parking lot that many RVs, trucks and cars pull into in whichever configuration they like. It’s a frequent spot for white water rafting and fly-fishing activities. The pit toilets are cleaned every Friday, and are much cleaner than most porta-potties. There are some communal fire pits and picnic tables as well.

These campgrounds are first come, first served, so it’s best to plan ahead, especially on a busy summer weekend. Otherwise, you may be stuck driving through mountain roads in the dark, looking for a place to pull over for the night.

Day Parking

Because Telluride is so small, with a constant influx of out-of-town travelers, there are many parking restrictions that you’ll want to be aware of.

Parking usually comes with your accommodations, but if you’re rebelling against the institution (kidding) and you don’t have paid accommodations, then you’ll need to figure something else out.

(Free) Day Parking in Telluride:

• • All day lot– at Carhenge Parking Lot. This was our go-to; there was always an open space and it’s marginally closer to the town center. It’s a sizeable gravel parking lot off Pacific and South Tomboy. Turn right on Mahoney Drive (the little roundabout as you enter town) and left on Pacific. Turn right at the parking lot sign.
  • All day lot– Unnamed parking lot off Mahoney Drive.
  • All day street parking allowed east of Town Park (blue streets on this map).
  • 4-hour lot– at Town Park, though there is the rare exception when this lot is restricted to campers only for a festival. I like parking here for easy access to Town Park’s wi-fi, clean restrooms, picnic tables and other amenities.
  • 2 hours free parking on select streets (green streets on this map)

(Free) Day Parking in Mountain Village:

• • All day lot – the Gondola Parking Garage is a multi-story parking garage open from 6:30am to 2:00am. The main entrance is limited by a low clearance bar at 7’4,” but don’t worry – to the right is an entrance for higher vehicles. Here you can purchase overnight parking at $25 per night. However, staying overnight in your vehicle is still prohibited. Bonus: you can take the gondola up to the Mountain Village plazas, if you don’t want to hoof it.
  • Ranging from 30-60 minutes free, there are a few small lots available throughout the town. This is too short a time frame for us though; we prefer the flexibility of being able to leave our van for a long time.

Always read the street and parking lot signs! Rules can change for the day or the entire season. And remember, there is no staying overnight in your vehicle in any of these lots or streets.

The Gondola

Part transportation, part sightseeing, the gondola is a must for any visit to Telluride! It’s like your own private helicopter ride over the mountains, without the loud engine and dangerous propellers. The main gondola has three boarding points:

1. 1. Telluride Station – located right in the middle of town, off South Oak St and West San Juan Avenue.
   2. San Sophia Station – this is an access point to several hiking and biking trails, as well as excellent views of the surrounding mountain peaks. San Sophia Station is at a remarkable 10,500 feet above sea level. Always make sure you read the signage! Trail availability changes daily, based on weather and other safety issues, anything from tree cutting to incoming helicopters.
   3. Mountain Village Station – located just past Heritage Plaza in Mountain Village Center.

If you just want to go from Telluride to Mountain Village, or vise-versa, skipping San Sophia, then you don’t have to deboard.

There’s another gondola, too, that goes from Mountain Village Center to the Market Plaza and Gondola Parking Garage (mentioned above), but you have to deboard and walk a short distance to a different station.

Pets are allowed on the gondolas with paw print stickers.

Summer hours are 6:30am to midnight daily, with extended hours until 2am Friday and Saturday. Remember it gets quite chilly at night and in the early morning, so be prepared.

What to Do

Alright, with the logistics of orientation, lodging, and parking out of the way, let’s get to the fun stuff! For two small towns, there is a remarkable variety of activities and events. This is especially true in the summer, when the landscape is green and the sun is warm. The local government and businesses do an excellent job of providing almost anything you could want to do!

Free Adventures, if you have the stuff:

• • Hiking – there are trails of all difficulty levels in and around Telluride. Many are accessible from the town of Telluride and from Mountain Village, and still many more are available all along the San Juan Bypass. The favorites (aka busiest trails) are Bear Creek, Lake Hope, Ridge Trail, Sneffels Highline, and Jud Wiebe – make sure you pick up a complimentary map. This is a great website for trails: https://www.telluride.com/activities/hikingrunning
  • Biking – like hiking, there are trails in and around Telluride. To access some biking trails there is a fee/ lift pass, but there are plenty of free trails to keep you busy. Don’t have a bike? The best rental price we found was $50 for 4 hours.
  • Dog-walking – in the extremely dog-friendly community of Telluride, I think dog-walking deserves to be its own activity! I have never seen so many dogs in one small area. The river trail is the most popular dog-walking route, where roaming canines drink, swim and play in and around the pristine (and frigid) San Miguel River.
  • Stand Up Paddle Board – if you have a board you can go alone, or you can rent one. Nearby options are the Alta Lakes, the San Miguel River, Trout Lake, Priest Lake, Woods Lake, and Down Valley Park.
  • River Tubing – inflate your tubes and take a ride down river! The water is a wee bit shallow in some parts, so you may want to do some scouting before the plunge. Warning, it is ice cold and moves fast, even in the summer.
  • Frisbee Golf / Disc Golf – available at both Town Park in Telluride, CO and in Mountain Village. You can check out a frisbee at Town Park in exchange for leaving your license.
  • Fly Fishing – do it alone or with a guide. Telluride appears to be an angler’s paradise, and you get to spend more time soaking in the sights and sounds of the river! There’s also a small children’s pond at Town Park that is stocked with fish for young enthusiasts – and you don’t have to camp there to enjoy it!
  • 4×4 Off-roading – Driving can be its own adventure, especially when you’re talking about old mining roads on high mountain passes. While you could do this for free (plus the cost of gas) if you have your own 4×4 vehicle, I would suggest at least talking to the tour companies to find out what is included in the tour. The drive could be more interesting if you know what you’re looking at.
  • Rock Climbing – Okay, I may be stretching this category a bit; I’m not sure how many of you roll with a full set of climbing gear. If you’re one of those people, there are many routes that you can take yourself. I recommend checking in with The Telluride Mountain Club for the lowdown on DIY climbing and talking to some tour companies to see what they offer.

Not Free, but Carpe Diem!

• • River Rafting or Kayaking – there are several tour companies that will take you on a fun and watery adventure. We saw multiple groups using the Caddis Flat Campground as a meeting area.
  • Paragliding – we saw many paragliders at all times of the day, though if you can, I recommend doing it at dusk. Golden hour in the box canyon is magical!
  • Golfing – the Telluride Golf Club has a 71-par, 18-hole golf course up on Mountain Village. Judging by how many golf carts we saw crossing the road, it appears popular.

Even More Activities!

Still not sure what you want to do? Take a wander through Town Park and chances are something will get your attention. You do not have to camp at the Town Park Campground in order to access the following:

• • Fields and court sports: softball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, sand volleyball courts and the disc golf course mentioned previously. You can check out basketballs, footballs, frisbees, soccer balls, softballs / bats, tennis racquets and balls and volleyballs at Town Park; you just have to leave a license
  • Horseshoe pits
  • Kids’ fishing pond and two playgrounds
  • Skate park – there’s also another skate park just a couple blocks away, across from the post office.
  • Swimming pool – open swim, lap swim, and a mini water park for the children. The pricing is tiered depending on age, but for an adult, $6 gets you access to the pool and a shower token. (Showers alone are $3.)
  • BBQ grills – These aren’t your average public park BBQ grills. These are large, lidded and have multiple vents! My husband Jon, the barbecue cook of the family, was very excited to use these bad boys.

Town Events

If you’re still not impressed by this wonderful place, then consider this: Telluride is especially known for its plethora of festivals and community events! And, because of the size and accessibility of the towns, you can actually attend these events! No parking issues, waiting in traffic, waiting in lines, arriving late and not finding a spot, etc. Convenience and proximity are on your side.

Festivals

The tickets to these festivals may not be so budget-friendly, but don’t feel left out: most of these festivals will have free events for the public! Download the schedule online or stop by the Visitor’s Center for the festival events.

Are you ready? The festivals are: Literary Arts, Mountainfilm, Balloon Fest, Wild West, WOW: Weekend of Wellness, Bluegrass, Yoga, Wine, Plein Air, The Ride (Rock ‘n’ Roll), Americana Music, Art & Architecture, Chamber Music, Jazz, Mushroom, Telluride Reserve (wine & food), Film Fest, Blues & Brews, Cars & Colors, Original Thinkers, and Horror Show. Check the Telluride Calendar for exact dates each year.

We – okay – I was lucky that we were here during the Jazz Festival and the Mushroom Festival, two completely unrelated things that I especially fancy. For the Jazz Festival, we listened to free live music at the Last Dollar Saloon and at Elks Park. For the Mushroom Festival, I attended a Mushroom Hunting 101 class led by a mycology professor, and wandered through rows of mushroom identification tables, touching, smelling and inspecting dozens of mushroom varietals, all for free!

Community Events & Offerings

To help everyone enjoy the beautiful summer weather, Telluride puts on a variety of community events. Even locals are overwhelmed by the frequency of opportunities to get involved. Here are some:

• • Farmer’s markets – both in the town of Telluride and in Mountain Village, on different days. Delicious and beautiful local food and arts
  • Live music – there are planned or spontaneous musical performances almost daily. Keep your eyes and ears open. The Sunset Concert Series takes place at Sunset Plaza in Mountain Village.
  • The Wilkinson Public Library – yep, I did include the library. Guess what? It’s amazing! The Wilkinson Public Library does an exceptional thing – it allows you to check out more than just reading material. You can check out a karaoke machine, poker and mahjong sets and even a GoPro. It’s definitely worth a visit.
  • The Free Box – on the corner of Pine and Main St. is the town’s center for anonymous gifting. Need something? Browse the shelves to find books, clothing, shoes and anything from skis to kitchen tools. Decluttering? Donate to the Free Box!
  • Historic Walking Tour – follow this self-guided tour to learn what’s so special about Telluride. From Ute Indians to miners and gold prospectors, this tiny box canyon town has seen a lot of growth and change over the centuries. Keep an eye out for Butch Cassidy’s first robbery site, and the story of Nikola Tesla’s contribution to the town. Telluride was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, the highest level of historic status given by the US Secretary of the Inferior.
  • Local art shows and performances – Browse through the poster bills and you’re bound to find something interesting, thought-provoking and quintessentially Colorado. The local art scene is strong in Telluride. The prices are generally reasonable and the people are very welcoming.

Whatever you’re interested in, I think it’s safe to say you won’t have any trouble finding ways to fill up your time. And who says you have to do something all of the time? Imagine setting up a chair or blanket along the river, listening to the water flow, the birds chirp and the leaves rustle in the wind…

Where to Eat & Drink:

Since we’re van life, traveling with our kitchen and home, we do a lot of home cooking to save money (and because we enjoy it). In general, stores and restaurants off the main road (Main Street) will be less expensive, but there’s always exceptions. For example, at Elks Park on Main Street, you’ll see several food carts selling ice cream, cheese sandwiches, gyros and hot dogs. There are many more budget places that we did not try, so this list is not inclusive. These are the places we frequented (and liked) to keep our bellies and bladders full:

• • Clark’s Market in Telluride seemed to have the best prices on groceries and non-grocery essentials. Deals on produce change regularly, so shop slowly. There’s no alcohol sold here.
  • For beer and wine, we went to Telluride Bottle Works on San Juan Avenue. Great selection and decent prices for a mountain town.
  • Brown Dog Pizza is easily the favorite budget dining spot in Telluride. It’s got carbs (pizza and pasta), craft beer and atmosphere. While it wasn’t the best pizza we’ve had, it certainly hit the spot for a fun night out, eating more than we should have. Also, it’s right next to Last Dollar Saloon, and on Friday and Saturday nights, it seems like half the town is here.
  • Cornerhouse Grill is probably our favorite spot. We shared a delicious burger, fries and beers. There’s a rotating happy hour from 3-6pm. (For the record, we did try Steamies, the Colorado burger chain that steams their beef patties instead of grilling. It just wasn’t our kind of burger.)

Other Budget Travel Notes

• • With mountain adventures inevitably comes mud and dirt. Need to do laundry? The closest laundromat is Telluride Eco Cleaners, off the San Juan Bypass, between the Conoco gas station and the turn off to Mountain Village.
  • If you’re really on a budget, you may want to account for taxes. During summer 2019, the sales tax was 8.65%, plus an additional 2% excise tax on lodging and the sale of food or drink in any restaurant or bar. Yep, that’s 10.65% of sales tax for your morning cup of joe. The county also has an additional 2% excise tax on lodging – totaling to 12.65%!
  • Bear spray and hospital stays are both expensive. Be aware for bears out there!

Well, that’s all from me. I hope you can visit the amazing town of Telluride, Colorado, no matter what your budget may be!