About Telluride

"Diverse" is a word that is often used to describe Telluride. It is a meshing of many elements that create a culturally infused, up-to-the-moment place that is also a place of unspoiled, untouched beauty. Telluride has long been a quiet secret place with some of best skiing to be found in the state of Colorado and it also has become the "Festival Capital" in the Rockies.

Originally home to the Utes who made their summer camps along the San Miguel River, where water and food was plentiful as they stocked up on meat and other foods for the long, harsh winters ahead. The pioneers arrived in the 1800's and the town of Columbia was born in Telluride Valley in the year 1880. The railroads came through over the next decade and the humble area became a boom town with a population that rose to 5,000 people quickly. It was a wealthy area with miners, saloons, gambling and a notoriously well-known red-light district. The prosperity of the town also attracted ne'er do wells such as Butch Cassidy and his "Wild Bunch", who actually robbed their first bank and started their brazen reputations at the San Miguel National Bank in 1889.

Telluride is often thought of as a wintertime escape only, however the summer season in Telluride is filled with activities and festivals to attend. Enjoy the slopes and the snowy vista views during the winter and when the snows melt in the spring and summer, it's time to enjoy the cool selection of festivals that start up. From art to music to cultural diversity - there is so much to celebrate - the spring and summer may not seem long enough. However, you'll find there is no loss of fun activities to do in Telluride 365 days a year.

In the present, Telluride has around half of the population it had during its booming years in the 1800's. At roughly 2,000 full time residents, the city has all the amenities you'd expect in a much larger city however it has lost none of its cozy hometown and graceful historic feel of the American Old West at its very best.