Telluride Waterfalls

Telluride Waterfalls

Because the San Juans are Colorado's steepest range and all that snowmelt has to go somewhere,

Telluride boasts stunning waterfalls. The easiest to reach is 60–foot Cornet Falls, just a quarter mile up a

steep dirt trail from the top of Aspen Street. Ingram Falls is also noteworthy: It's the huge, 125–foot white

ribbon you can see clearly from town. Reach it by driving east on Colorado Avenue past the old Pandor

Mill, and up the dirt road toward Black Bear Pass. Along the way, you'll round a switchback and see the

most dramatic, Bridal Veil Falls, which plunges more than 300 feet, making it the tallest free–falling chute in

Colorado. Also hike to Bear Creek Falls up the old mining road South of town, a 3 hour round trip journey,

take a lunch and a camera.

Bridal Veil Falls
Distance: 2.2 mi. one way to top of falls
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Access: East end of Hwy. 145 where asphalt ends. Hikers continue on dirt road 1.2 miles to bottom of falls,

or 2.2 miles to top. Trail to Bridal Veil Basin continues past privately owned historic building at top of falls,

and from there continues on to Blue and Silver Lakes.

Just east of Telluride against its stunning mountain backdrop, is Bridal Veil Falls, a beautiful two pronged

waterfall with a vertical drop of approximately 100 feet. If you love waterfalls and you have a 4-wheel drive, this

is definitely a "must see" site.

Ingram Falls

Same hike as Bridal Veil Falls, but continue for another 15 minutes. Falls are at the crest of Telluride Peak

Mountain and lower mining claims.

Cornet Falls

Distance: 1/4 mi. round-trip
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Access: North end of Aspen. Stay to the right and do not cross the bridge to Jud Wiebe.

Bear Creek Falls

Bear Creek Canyon
This area is a 325-acre mountain canyon that has been preserved forever by the town's Telluride Land Trust.

This precious parcel, with its stunning scenery and cascading waterfall is now protected from development

and is preserved for the enjoyment of the public. Please help us preserve this unique site by remaining on

designated trails.
Distance: 2.5 mi. one way
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Access: Trailhead starts at south end of Pine Street. Follow Bear Creek up scenic canyon to waterfall and

the trailhead for strenuous Wasatch Trail.

Telluride History
The Ute Indians named the Telluride area, "The Valley of Hanging Waterfalls." They considered the area

sacred because of its natural beauty. In the 1870s, a different value was placed on the land, as miners arrived

in search of gold and silver. The town they established was originally named "Columbia." There was so much

confusion, because another mining town in California was named, "Columbia," so the post office forced the

town to change its name.

The name "Telluride" originated with the term "tellurium" - mixed silver and gold ore. With the mining boom,

the town began to take on quite a character of its own. New businesses sprouted up including a hotel, opera

house, saloons and gambling halls, creating a frontier-mining town with all the trappings. All the gold and

silver made the local bank a tempting target. Telluride is now famous for Butch Cassidy's first heist, netting

him a take of $24,580.

At the pinnacle of the gold rush, Telluride was home to nearly 5,000 people. The mining business apparently

proved profitable. At the end of the 19th century, more millionaires per capita lived in Telluride than in New

York City. More than three hundred and sixty million dollars of gold had been extracted from mines around

Telluride.

In 1891, George Westinghouse, L.L. Nunn, and Nikola Tesla built the world's first alternating current (AC)

power plant. This made Telluride the first place in the world to have electric street lamps.

The boom days however didn't last forever. The mines eventually shut down in the 1950s and for the next 20

years, Telluride remained practically a ghost town.

In 1972, California entrepreneur, Joe Zoline, created the ski area. He saw the potential of the area with its

"white gold" (snow) on the mountains. Over the next few years, tourism revitalized the town, and Telluride

became a popular winter and summer destination.

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