Riding the Dog-Friendly Telluride Gondola

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As a dog owner, we were so happy when we found out that Telluride gondola is dog-friendly transportation. We even saw a picture of dogs sitting happily in the gondola in their promotional materials. How cool is that!

Where is Telluride?

Telluride is a small mountain town located in a remote corner of southwest Colorado. The town is only 12 blocks long and 8 blocks wide, and tucks into a box canyon surrounded by 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks.

According to US News & World Report poll, Telluride is the  #1 Best Small Town to Visit in the USA. And the Conde Nast readers ranked Telluride as the #1 Ski Resort in North America for several years.

The town was founded in 1878 under the name Columbia. In 1887 the U.S. Postal Service forced the town to change its name due to confusion with the mining town of Columbia in California.

There are 2 theories how the town became known as Telluride: 1) It is named after tellurium, a nonmetallic element associated with rich mineral deposits of gold and silver, or 2) The town was named for the famous send-off given to fortune seekers headed to the southern San Juan Mountains – “To-hell-you-ride!”    

Back in the 1700s, the Ute Indians used the area as their summer camp. In 1858 gold was discovered for the very first time. Soon Telluride became a mining boom town until one of the richest mining companies in the United States closed its operation in 1928. In 1970 the ski area was founded, and five lifts were constructed in 1972. The area’s last mining operation, Idarado Mine, closed in 1978. In 1987, Mountain Village was founded, perched above the valley floor at 9,500 feet. And in 1996, the gondola started to operate, connecting Telluride and Mountain Village.

How to get to Telluride?

You can drive or fly to Telluride. Following is a brief description on how to get to Telluride. You must click the link for details of flight information and driving directions.

If you fly, the primary airport for Telluride is the Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ). During the winter months there are nonstop flights from 11 major hubs and 5 major hubs in the summer. Once you get to Montrose you must rent a shuttle or a car and drive for 65 miles on a scenic driveway to Telluride. They recommend you the ground transportation options as when you arrive in town a car is unnecessary.

Or, you can also fly to the Telluride Regional Airport (TEX). New jet service is now available on Denver Air Connection. DAC partners with United Airlines which enable you to book and connect through the global United network. The Telluride Airport is also open to general aviation, including charter and private planes. Rental cars are also available from the airport.

If you drive, here is the driving distance from big cities in the region to Telluride.

Denver – 330 miles

Grand Junction – 127 miles

Durango – 125 miles

Colorado Springs – 300 miles

Montrose – 67 miles

Cortez – 75 miles

Gunnison – 125 miles

Mesa Verde – 100 miles

Ouray – 50 miles

Ridgway – 38 miles

Silverton – 73 miles

Phoenix, Arizona – 485 miles

Albuquerque, New Mexico – 351 miles

Santa Fe, New Mexico – 280 miles

Las Vegas, Nevada – 585 miles

Moab, Utah – 130 miles

Salt Lake City, Utah – 366 miles

We came from Ouray and made a day trip to Telluride. The drive was pretty, and it was part of the San Juan Skyway scenic drive.

Riding the Dog-Friendly Telluride Gondola

Have I told you that the Telluride Gondola is FREE? With the support from a number of community financial sources in Mountain Village, the gondola has been free to ride since it was founded in 1996. It makes the Telluride gondola the first and only free public transportation system of its kind in the United States.

Here’s how you get to the gondola and have an amazing experience while riding in one. After all, it’s a must do when you are in town.

Assuming you are visiting by car for a day like us. Since Telluride is a small town, parking can be a challenge. Parking is limited and not to mention if there’s a farmer’s market or other events that often shutdown the streets of Telluride. So, the best place to park for easy access to the Gondola station is the Gondola Parking Garage in Mountain Village. Day time parking is free. Or, find a space at the Carhenge parking lot on West Pacific Street in Telluride. It’s also free. This parking lot gets full fast, but we were lucky to get a space.

From the Carhenge parking lot go cross the bridge and you will see a bus stop and a restroom on the right. Wait for the Galloping Goose that serves people of Telluride and the visitors by providing a free ride in town. It operates daily and runs every 20 minutes. Moreover, your dog can get in the bus with you. Isn’t it great? The bus will stop right by the Gondola Station on South Oak Street.

If you miss the bus and don’t want to wait for 20 minutes, you can always walk to the Gondola Station. After the bridge, you will see a trail along the river that will take you to the Gondola Station. It’s a nice trail, you can walk as fast or as slow as you want while enjoying the river views.

Arrive at the Gondola Station, go stand in line until it’s your time to hop on into the gondola. Now, there are gondolas specifically for commuters with dogs. It has paw prints on the window and it arrives after one or two regular ones when we were there. So, it’s not a long wait.

However, we didn’t get information about this prior to our visit to Telluride. We just hopped on to the gondola and we saw an attendant run to us and said something. But the door was already closed and the gondola kept moving. We didn’t understand what she’s trying to say. When we were up in the air and saw a gondola with paw prints coming from the opposite directions, then it clicked to us. There are special gondolas for commuters with dogs. Now you know about it, don’t make a mistake like us.

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When we were waiting in line, we saw that the gondola wasn’t stopping at all for passengers to get in. It was just slowing down, but you still have to move fast especially if your group or your dog is big. Our dog Snoopy is a medium size but heavy. What we did, our son got in first followed by my husband and Snoopy on the leash, then me. If Snoopy didn’t want to go, I would help pushing him from behind and our son pulled him from inside. But, we didn’t have to do it. We were so excited with the ride and I think our excitement was contagious to him, so he just hopped on like a pro.

Once we left the platform, we were all beaming with excitement. It was our first time in a Telluride Gondola, and it’s our son and Snoopy’s first time riding in a gondola. We looked around – 360 degrees – and the higher we went, the more beautiful the views were. The San Juan Mountains look majestic in a distance, while aspen groves blanketed the ground below us. We can only imagine the spectacular views when they turn to oranges, reds, and yellows in the fall.

The Epic Rides!

The gondola ride from Telluride to Mountain Village takes approximately 13 minutes. First stop which is also the highest point during the ride, is San Sophia Station at elevation 10,500 feet. The elevation change is 1,750 feet and it takes about 8 minutes to ride. You can get off here and head to the hiking/biking trails, or ski slopes during winter. Or maybe you want to eat at Allred’s Restaurant, the restaurant on the highest location in the region. If you decide to continue, make sure you hold your dog, because the cabin’s door will be open automatically to give passengers time to get off. 

Next, you will continue to Mountain Village. Enjoy the epic views of the ski resort as you descend 960 foot to the Gondola Plaza. You must get off here and you can head down the steps or take an elevator to Mountain Village Core. Or, continue to ride the gondola to Market Plaza from a small station in the Gondola Plaza. We chose the latter, because when you are already there, why don’t ride the whole thing, right? 

Arriving at the Market Plaza Station, you will see a grocery store, a Post Office, and Mountain Village Town Hall nearby. Condos spread all over the area, and it’s also the location of free parking in the village. I also noticed signs to several trails, and there’s one that will take you to Mountain Village. We didn’t check the trails because it was around lunch time and we planned to grab something in Mountain Village.

You must spend some time in Mountain Village, either you plan to have lunch here or not. Walk around and enjoy the lux feel of European-style alpine settings here. The village consists of luxurious accommodations, state-of-the-art spas, stylish shops, and sophisticated dining options. Once you are done making a loop and taking tons of pictures, grab a cup of coffee or a drink from one of the restaurants, and sit at one of the tables around the plaza. Then it’s time to download the pictures to your social media. The free high speed internet offered by the village is super fast. It’s even faster than the one in our home. Haha… 

If your starting point is the Mountain Village, the ride will be the same, it’s just from the opposite directions.

On the way back to Telluride, I told my son about my first gondola ride in Singapore. Over there they called it a cable car, and it connects the mainland to Sentosa Island. So, the cable cars are moving above the sea. My father, his grandfather, was afraid of height. He rode in one only once, then he always took a ferry and would meet us at the cable car station every time we went there again. I remember it was smaller and there’s a pole in the middle. The staff would push the car after we got in. But it was in the late 70s, so they probably changed the cars and the system by now.

We also told our son about our gondola ride in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is located in the Indonesia Miniature Park, where we could see traditional houses from all over Indonesia from above. It’s a flat ride, no elevation change.

Our son was so excited with this gondola ride. I would say this was the most exciting thing in our 10 days road trip in Colorado for this teenage boy. (If you have a teenager at home you will know what I meant. Haha…) He wished we had gondolas in our town. “I believe students will turn in their homework on time,” he said. He thought the students would have fun doing their homework in the gondolas between school and home.        

As for Snoopy, we didn’t know what was in his mind when he looked at the bottom during the ride. He seemed to enjoy the ride like we did though. Fortunately the floor of the gondola is not grates, because he’s not comfortable with every surface with grates. Also thankful for the elevator at Mountain Village, because the stairs to go up and down at the village are made out of grates.

Things that need to be considered for dog owners. We saw a guy holding his dog, who was a bit smaller than Snoopy, to his chest when he and his partner got off the gondola. Also a few others with their small dogs snuggled comfortably in their owners’ chest. Your dog might not be comfortable to ride in one, so you have to be prepared.

Quick Facts About the Gondola

1. It operates daily from 7 a.m. to midnight for Summer Season: June 15-October 18, 2020. It is open for the Winter Season: November 20, 2020-April 4, 2021 (subject to change.)

2. Each cabin travels at 11 mph.

3. Electricity used to operate the gondola comes from wind power purchased from San Miguel Power Association.

4. The gondola closes for a short duration in the late spring and fall for maintenance and other operational needs.

5. Handicap-accessible cabins are available and you can ask a gondola attendant for help boarding. They can slow down the cabins for those with strollers, wheel chairs, etc.

6. In the summer, bike racks are mounted on the exterior of the cabins, and gondola attendants help load bikes. In the winter, the ski and snowboard racks are mounted on the exterior of the cabins, and gondola attendants help load equipment.

7. The trip between Telluride and Mountain Village by roadways is 8 miles long, but by gondola it is only 3 miles.

8. 50% of the cabins are accessible to pets.

9. You can spot wildlife from high above, like bears, elk, deer, marmots, foxes, or coyotes. We spotted a marmot.

10. Without notice, the gondola may close temporarily due to weather conditions, a power outage, or things beyond their control.

11. There’s a free bus service between the towns of Mountain Village and Telluride during the months when the gondola is closed.

Summer 2020 Gondola Rules

– No mask, no ride. It goes for passengers over the age of two. If you don’t have one, ask the operator. They will give you one. If you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing a mask, let the operator know.

– One person (or related party) per cabin.

– Cabins are disinfected regularly after passengers leave the cabins.

– Complimentary hand sanitizers at every station.

– Passengers must load their own gear. Ask for assistance on how to do it.

– Maintain a 6’ of distance from a party in front of you in line.

Visit Town of Mountain Village website for any updates on the gondola ride.

Mountain Village Parking

Mountain Village has more parking options than the town of Telluride, but parking is not permitted along any streets or right-of-way.

Gondola Parking Garage: 455 Mountain Village Blvd.

The largest and most affordable overnight parking garage in Mountain Village.

Free from 6.30 a.m. to 2 a.m., but $25 for overnight parking.

It is located at the Market Plaza gondola terminal station.

Heritage Parking Garage: 568 Mountain Village Blvd., across from the Madeline Hotel and Residences.

The only other overnight parking option aside from the Gondola Parking Garage.

It is $2 per hour and $35 for a 24-hour period (overnight).

It has 7’6” clearance.

Meadows Parking: end of Adams Ranch Road in the Meadows neighborhood.

A total of 110 spaces in the lot that are free from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Overnight parking is only permitted with a resident parking permit or Lot M permit.

South Village Center Parking: 113 Lost Creek Lane, adjacent to the Blue Mesa Condominium Building.

A free 30-minute parking with no time limit after 6 p.m.

No overnight parking is permitted in these lots.

Market Plaza Parking: 455 Mountain Village Blvd., adjacent to the Market at Mountain Village.

60 spots available for a free one-hour parking.

No overnight parking in this lot.

North Village Center Parking: 636 Mountain Village Blvd. between Shirana and Westermere.

This is the smallest lot with only 25 spots.

Fees are $2 per hour and free after 6 p.m.

No overnight parking.

I hope you get all the information needed for your Telluride Gondola ride here. Read carefully and write down alternative options in case you don’t get a parking space at your first choice.

Enjoy your excursion to Telluride and have a safe trip!