Telluride is an amazingly beautiful town in southwestern Colorado. It is a pretty small downtown and it’s right in a valley so it has stunning views on all sides. Situated in the San Juan Mountains, the Telluride area also has some of the best hiking trails (in my opinion at least!) This area of Colorado is even said to be similar to the Alps.
Here are some of my favorite hikes in the Telluride area:
- Ice and Island Lakes
- Lower, Middle and Upper Blue Lakes
- Columbine Lake
- Bridal Veil Falls to Blue Lake
Ice and Island Lakes
6.9 miles | Hard | 2,650 ft. of elevation gain | Hike info
The San Juans have some of the most vibrant lakes I’ve ever seen, two of them being Ice and Island Lakes. This hike is one of the best known hikes in Colorado, and for good reason!
The hike starts with a 2 mile trek to reach the loop that goes around from Ice Lake to Island Lake, and back. It’s not too technically challenging, but it is pretty steep the whole way up, so it’s definitely on the harder side.
Lower, Middle and Upper Blue Lakes
8.7 miles | Hard | 2,509 ft. of elevation gain | Hike Info
Another well known hike in this area is the Blue Lakes trail in the Mount Sneffels wilderness. This trail boasts three vibrant blue lakes at the base of Mount Sneffels. The hike is uphill the entire way and is steep in some areas, so you will definitely break a sweat!
If you are feeling bold, you can also continue on the trail to hike up to the top of Mount Sneffels. It’s one of Colorado’s more challenging 14ers (14,000 ft. mountains) as there are steep drop offs. If you want to do this part of the trail, make sure you have proper hiking boots with good traction.
Columbine Lake
7.9 miles | Hard | 2,837 ft. of elevation gain | Hike Info
This is another vibrant blue lake (if you can’t tell, there’s a lot of them in this area of the state)! This hike is not for the faint of heart as it’s entirely uphill and very steep for a lot of it. The first mile or so you will be hiking up steep switchbacks, so lots of breaks will be needed! But all your hard work will be rewarded with beautiful views both at the lake and along the trail.
The elevation is high for much of the hike so you can see far into the distance. If you catch it at the right time of year, you will also see many beautiful wildflowers along the trail!
Bridal Veil Falls to Blue Lake
5.7 miles | Moderate | 1,843 ft. of elevation gain | Hike Info
While the other hikes in this list are a bit outside of the town of Telluride, this one is very close to it. It’s very easy to get to if you are staying in the town. The parking at the trailhead will fill up quickly though, so make sure to get an early start.
The trail actually starts right at Bridal Veil Falls, so there’s not much hiking involved to see this part. And it’s a great way to start the hike. The waterfall is almost overwhelming when standing near it, as it’s 365 feet tall! Definitely stop to take in the beauty and snap a few photos before adventuring on the rest of the trail.
From the waterfall, the trail continues through the forest to Blue Lake. Some of the trail is an ATV road, so it’s quite wide and hard to miss. Blue Lake is, you guessed it, another vibrant blue lake! It’s so beautiful, and it’s a little easier to get to than some of the other lakes on this list. I’d say this a must-do if you are staying in the town of Telluride!
