Mini Vacation Idea: Telluride Hiking!

Telluride is tucked away - perfect for a mini-getaway! Trust me, I’ve calculated the travel miles to every 14er, every trail worth seeing and every rustic cabin village within reasonable driving distance for a weekend away from Denver. But this trip is worth making a weekend out for:

Bridal Veil Falls

From Pandora Mill to Bridal Veil waterfalls and the power plant, it is 1.8 miles and a 1,200 foot elevation gain. Or you can just hike or bike (if you do not mind the 4x4 traffic in mid-summer) up to the bottom of the falls and become energized in the midst of the mist. Directions: Go east through town on Colorado Avenue toward the mountain, pass the old Pandora Mill on your left and follow the road marked County Road.

Continue on this dirt road and go up the switchbacks for 1.2 miles to the bottom of falls, or go the extra .6 miles to the top of the falls. You don’t have to stop here, though. The gate is the trailhead (next to the privately owned historic power plant) for hikes to the awesome Bridal Veil Basin, Blue Lake and Silver Lake. Parking is available at the top but you will need to do a 3 point turn.

And if you want to go a bit further, continue onto Blu Lake:

Moderate—Access from the top of Bridal Veil Falls. Approximately 4 hours round trip covering 5 1/4 miles with an elevation gain of 2,000 feet. This is a spectacular wildflower hike which ends above tree-line at the lake.

Need more? Start with a Google Map of Downtown Telluride/Mountain Village.