Cross-Country Skiing Telluride, Colorado
Beautiful Nordic Ski Trails in San Miguel County
Feb 26, 2009
Cross-country skiing is an excellent way to explore the gorgeous scenery of the San Juan Mountains in the Telluride area. For some serious exercise, incredibly fresh air, and spectacular views check out the area’s wide variety of cross-country ski trails.
The Telluride Town Park Nordic Center
The Telluride Town Park is located right downtown Telluride and is open daily from 10am to 4pm for cross-country skiing. The Nordic center rents skates and classic style skis and offers cross-country ski lessons and tours. Three kilometers of perfectly groomed trails lie just outside the Nordic center and wind all through the Town Park with its incredible snow-covered peaked backdrop. The Nordic center is a great resource for information on other area trails and also rents equipment for many winter adventure needs including snowshoes, ice skates, and sleds.
The Telluride Valley Floor Cross-Country Ski Trail
The Telluride Valley Floor is a popular ski trail for beginners. The relatively flat trail winds along the valley floor west of town and can eventually connect to the Telluride Town Park trail system via the San Miguel River Trail. The trail system is accessed easily across from the Shell station on Hightway 145 or at the trailhead in town at the south end of Mahoney Drive.
Priest Lake Nordic Trails
The Priest Lake trail system is located 12.5 miles south of Telluride on Highway 145. The trailhead is located on the east side of the highway just past the Matterhorn Campground at a forest service facility. Suggested donation for use of the trail system is $5 per person. These trails feature a wide variety of interconnected loops from flatter, beginner terrain to hilly advanced terrain. The trails are frequently groomed for both skate and classic styled skiing.
The Telluride Golf Course and Telluride Ski Resort
The Telluride Golf Course has 6 kilometers of groomed intermediate trails and can be accessed from a few locations in town and in mountain village. Telluride ski resort offers several more advanced trails and a special lift ticket for lift 10 can be purchased for cross-country skiers to take the lift up to connect with the resort trail system. The Telluride Nordic area offers 10 kilometers of groomed trails with views of surrounding ski area. Skiers with backcountry experience and equipment can also travel outside the resort boundary to the adjacent, more advanced forest service trails.
The San Juan Mountains offer many opportunities and trail systems for the Nordic skier. For current trail conditions, see the Telluride Nordic Association's grooming report.
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