Guide: Telluride with Kids

Planning a ski vacation with kids can be overwhelming. I’ve put together a Telluride travel guide to help your planning for Telluride with kids, because I think it’s one of the best family ski resorts in the U.S.

Telluride is a bit off the beaten path as far as ski resorts goes partly because it’s a bit harder to get to than other resorts. We fell in love with the town, scenery and mountain the very first time we visited. It is magical, and you won’t regret making the effort to get there.

How to Get There

Let’s start with how to get there. The most reliable and connected airport is Montrose (MTJ). While there is a smaller airport with fewer flight options in town, most people fly into Montrose. Several airlines, including United, American and Southwest, fly into MTJ from major cities like Denver, Dallas and Chicago.

Once in Montrose, you can get to Telluride by hiring a shuttle service or renting a car. The drive from the airport is a little over one hour and generally pretty easy. We’ve always rented a car, but depending on where you choose to stay, you likely won’t need it.

We like to get most of our groceries in Montrose before we head to Telluride. We place our order for pick up, timed shortly after our arrival. We always need something we forgot when get to Telluride so having a car in Mountain Village is helpful.

Where to Stay

Telluride has two areas: Mountain Village and the town of Telluride. The free Gondola connects the two and can take you back and forth very easily and quickly with incredible views. Both areas have a grocery store, gear and rental shops, and great restaurant options.

Mountain Village sounds quaint when in reality it’s not. We are incredibly lucky to have dear friends with a house in the village so that’s where we’ve always stayed when in Telluride with kids. Mountain Village includes several high-end resorts and many rental options. It’s also where you’ll find the ski school, just at the base of the gondola. At the end of the day, we often relax with a drink and warm crepes around the fire pit in the Village plaza. Or we stroll over to sit in front of Madeline Hotel & Residences to watch the kids ice skate.

The town of Telluride in the valley below is Instagram swoon worthy and also offers many hotel and rental options. While we’ve never stayed in town, we always ride the gondola down at least once during our visits for shopping and our favorite pizza place.

Where to Eat

Brown Dog Pizza, 110 E Colorado Ave, Telluride. This is our must-visit when in Telluride. They don’t take reservations, but it’s well worth the wait. If you go at or before 5:30 p.m., you can usually sit without any wait. We’ve also ordered for pick up, when we’re just too tired to go out.

Places des Crepes, Heritage Plaza, Mountain Village. Our favorite après ski snack! Crepes, sweet or savory, made to order, so there’s always a line.

Steamies Burger Bar, 300 W Colorado Ave, Telluride. A friendly burger joint with steamed burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc. Vegetarian burger options also available, of course.

Tomboy Tavern, 562 Mountain Village Blvd, Mountain Village. Located at the base of Village Express Lift 4, it’s a fun atmosphere and good food for lunch, après ski or dinner.

There are also several on-mountain dining options, from casual to fine dining. We like High Camp Warming Hut when we’re skiing Telluride with kids, which also has several heated tents nearby. Or we bring packed lunches to eat in the tents or in the converted gondolas in Mountain Village.

General Tips

A few additional things to know when visiting Telluride with kids:

Two small things that make Telluride ski resort one of the best family ski resorts: restroom facilities all over the mountain and an intermediate way down from every lift. Both mean that my family skis together quite a bit more compared to other resorts. The resort also has varied terrain so there’s something for everyone. In-boundary, hike-to terrain is really great. Or so my guys tell me, because you will not find me hiking up a mountain with ski boots on while carrying my skis. There are also metal stairs on a peak that take you to some double-black chutes. NOPE.

The ski school and child care options book up well in advance so don’t wait on those. They have an easy cancellation policy if your plans change.

Every day at 4 p.m., the general manager of the Madeline Hotel & Residences signals the start of après ski by blowing an Alphorn with a complimentary toast. A fun treat while the kids ice skate.

Don’t forget your sunscreen! The sun is very strong here, much stronger than the more northern ski resorts.

Happy travels! xo