What to Do in Telluride in the Summer

Every Labor Day weekend since 1973, crowds have descended on Telluride to experience one of its best gems: The Telluride Film Festival. The weekend is full of free and paid film screenings from the past and present, seminars or discussions on various aspects of film, meet and greets, and symposiums. Movies like Juno, Brokeback Mountain, and The Crying Game were all first shown to the world at the Telluride Film Festival. There are often celebrity guests or speakers, the likes of which have included Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Kate Mara, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Greta Gerwig, and Billie Jean King.

Telluride’s winter program is spectacular, but the outdoor activities available in the summer are just as impressive. As the snow melts and nature blooms on the mountainous peaks that surround the ski community, it gives rise to gorgeous hiking, mountain climbing, and mountain biking opportunities. Take advantage of that melting snow with whitewater rafting adventures or by floating through the town’s river on inner tubes. Fly fishing, horseback riding, and off-roading with ATVs, trucks, or motorcycles are just a few other ways to spend summers in Telluride.

While the Telluride Balloon Festival is a beautiful sight to behold and the Yoga Festival centers bodies and minds, it’s the summer music festivals that really get the community jamming. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival will have its 45th annual celebration in 2018, showcasing some favorite bluegrass bands like the Sam Bush Band and Sturgill Simpson, as well as plenty of other acts on the main stage throughout the day and late-night jams at night. The Telluride Jazz Festival celebrates the world of jazz for three days, while the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival provides great blues concerts and a Grand Beer Tasting with the participation of 50 microbreweries.

In the summer of 2018, you can learn the secret to living longer in Telluride. Called the Live Longer Retreats, this six-night wellness program at the Telluride Ski Resort will be led by Dr. Alan Safdi, an expert on gastroenterology, health, wellness, and disease prevention. Dr. Safdi will play an integral role in the program which will include a hotel stay at The Peaks Resort & Spa Telluride, daily educational lectures, hikes, personal training, yoga, Pilates, meetings with a dietitian, cooking demos, a massage or facial at the spa, and all meals. With only 15 people per retreat, the Live Longer Retreats focus on you and your needs by offering pre- and post-retreat evaluation and consultations, as well as personalized meal and fitness programs.

Wine drinkers will delight in discovering that Telluride Ski Resort has a wine that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Telluride Wine was the brainchild of the Wine Director of Telluride Ski Resort, Andrew Shaffner who began the project in 2014. Today, the wine is blended at Sutcliffe Vineyards, a two-hour drive from Telluride and comes in two flavors, a red blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and a 100% Pinot Grigio. Only 10 barrels or 250 cases of the wine are produced each year! Of those 10 barrels, one is held on reserve and one is used on tap at the Telluride Golf Clubhouse and Tomboy Tavern. The other eight barrels are bottled and sold throughout the year at Telluride Ski & Golf Resort-owned restaurants. Talk about a very exclusive wine experience!

Mushrooms dot the mountains surrounding Telluride during the summer, and it’s these mushrooms that are gathered during the Telluride Mushroom Festival which has been alive and kicking since 1981. This quirky festival is a mixture of education, science, culinary arts, and fun. There are lectures and symposiums from renowned researchers on the benefits of mushrooms for medicine, as well as guided hikes that teach people how to gather and identify mushrooms. Cooking lessons and demonstrations throughout the festival are done entirely with local mushrooms. As the largest mushroom gathering in the U.S., it’s one of the most unique festivals and summertime activities to experience in Telluride.

The Peaks Resort & Spa in the Telluride Ski Resort has the largest spa in Colorado, making it an amazing place to relax in the summer. The 42,000 square-foot spa offers luxurious services like massages and beauty treatments, many of which are complemented by the Naturopathica product line. There’s also saunas, Roman baths, and steam rooms, as well as a lap pool and a waterslide that leads to the outdoor heated pool and has lovely views of the Rocky Mountain peaks. Salon services, a large fitness center, and wellness programs are other favorites of the Spa at the Peaks. The Oxygen Inhalation Lounge is a wonderful treatment for those who may be affected by the altitude.

Telluride Golf Resort is located over 9,500 feet above sea level, making the air much thinner. However, this unique placement of the course also means that you can hit the golf ball 15% farther than what you would at sea level. Pretty cool, right? With 18 holes and 6,574 yards of green at the Par 70 Telluride Golf Resort, there’s plenty of opportunities to experience this science phenomena as you play a round or two with beautiful summer mountain views.