TMtC needs your support to keep our trail projects moving forward.
Telluride Trails Planning
Telluride Mountain Club (TMtC) has been involved in regional trails planning since 2015. It all started with a simple survey to understand the community’s vision for trails in and around Telluride. We used the survey results to formulate and compile a Trails Proposal which was submitted in the summer of 2017. In 2019, Telluride Mountain Club completed and released a Trails Sustainability Plan with regional partners which inventories current trails and identifies locations for new trails and connectors that compliment the existing trail system. TMtC extends a huge thanks to our partners for helping make this plan a reality: San Miguel County, Town of Mountain Village, San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), and the Telluride Foundation.
In early 2023, TMtC formally submitted a new trail proposal (list of dream trails) to the USFS. This list is being internally vetted by the USFS before moving to the next stages. Some trails are more than likely to not make it to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. We plan to use a third-party contractor, SE Group, to help with the project and NEPA analysis. This process will likely take 18 months and our expenses are estimated to be $240,000.
TMtC’s 2023 trail projects include:
- Heavy maintenance on the Sunshine/T-35 Trail to better the user experience
- Reroute the west end of the Deep Creek Trail to create a more environmentally sustainable trail that requires less maintenance and preserves the surrounding landscape
- Act as the region’s go-to for quick trail maintenance fixes, including clearing
- Continue with ongoing trail planning to thoughtfully expand the region’s trail system to accommodate increased future use and demand
- Move TMtC’s trail proposal forward and start initiating NEPA for the proposed trails
TMtC needs your support to keep our trail projects moving forward. Please consider helping to support our regional trails initiatives. You can donate to the club here.
Trail Projects & News
TMtC is currently revising a proponent-driven trail proposal that has been submitted to the USFS to help create new trails in the Telluride region. Public information will be available in the coming months.
TMtC recently completed the new Eider to Mill Creek Connector Trail (from our 2017 Trails Proposal). TMtC had a successful fundraising campaign, followed by three months of trail construction during the summer of 2022. This new trail cost TMtC over $90,000 and is already a regional favorite with sweeping views of the Telluride valley.
The Mill Creek Bypass Trail (Mill Creek Bypass Trail Map) that TMtC submitted to the USFS as a trail proposal in 2019 did not get approved during the NEPA analysis. Currently, that land is being evaluated as a wildlife corridor. The trail is still a possibility for the future but is currently at a standstill.
In 2021, TMtC was successful at replacing the bridge on the Jud Wiebe Trail. You can learn more about this project here. Additionally, TMtC partnered with San Miguel County to install a new bridge on the Bridal Veil Trail. Learn more about our successful trail projects from 2021 in our recap report here.
TMtC was instrumental in negotiating a recreational trail easement agreement with Idarado Mining Company in 2019 to allow for the new Bridal Veil Trail. The trail starts near the Idarado Mine settling ponds and meanders to the base of Bridal Veil Falls. The new section of Bridal Veil Creek Trail is approximately .85 miles in length and the total trail to the base of the falls is 1.2 miles.
The Magic Meadows Trail, formally Alta Lakes Trail, is completed and a great benefit to the Telluride community. The new trail replaced a rogue, user-created trail that crossed private property.
The Remine Creek Trail was completed at the end of the 2018 summer season. This trail connects Lawson Hill near the underpass to the Aldasoro and Penelope’s/Breckenridge Trails. San Miguel County and the Town of Telluride collaborated to construct the new Bridal Veil Trail, eliminating many of the upper switchbacks on the way to Bridal Veil Falls. View that trail map here.
TMtC celebrates the great momentum going with new trails in the region. Learn more about Opt in for Trails, our fundraising efforts for these projects here and become a member and supporter of the club and our outdoor recreation here.
Trails Sustainability Plan
Telluride Mountain Club worked hard on our Trails Sustainability Plan and we are happy to have it available to the public below.
Trail Proposals
Regional survey results were used to understand the community’s vision and formulate a proposal first submitted in the summer of 2017. Since then, we’ve been working on our next round of trail proposals.
Trail Projects
Trail projects are moving forward and we look forward to keeping you updated of their progress here.
Did You
Know?
It costs over $40,000 to build one mile of trail in the Telluride region.
TMtC relies on private donations to accomplish our projects and mission. You can donate here:
The Latest Trails News
Relevant Telluride trail news and events are below. Click here for all TMtC News.
