Western Slope
San Miguel County
21 Porch Notes tied to San Miguel County — the local details that change from one part of Colorado to the next.
Money and taxes (1)
Home and property (1)
Water and land (1)
Outdoors and wildfire (7)
Outdoors and wildfire
Around Telluride, dispersed camping has rules that change by agency
Public land near Telluride is managed by the Forest Service and BLM, and dispersed camping rules differ by unit, so 'camp anywhere' is not the rule.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Black bears live around Telluride, and trash is the thing that gets them killed
Black bears are common around Telluride and Mountain Village, where unsecured trash drives most conflicts, and local bear-resistant container rules carry fines.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Fishing rules differ by water: Trout Lake, Woods Lake, and the San Miguel River
San Miguel County's named waters — Trout Lake, Woods Lake, and the San Miguel River — each carry their own fishing rules, and statewide native trout conservation means rules can change.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Telluride's ski mountain rises straight out of the box canyon
Telluride Ski Resort climbs from the old mining town into high-alpine hike-to terrain, with a free gondola linking town to the slopes at Mountain Village.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Lizard Head Wilderness holds three fourteeners and bans motors and bikes
The Lizard Head Wilderness southwest of Telluride contains the Mount Wilson, Wilson Peak, and El Diente fourteeners and the Lizard Head spire, and it is closed to bikes and motor vehicles.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Telluride Via Ferrata, a free cabled route across the box canyon
A free, locally maintained cliff route below Ajax Peak that asks for real respect and offers a long traverse high above the box canyon floor.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Wilson Peak is reached from the Rock of Ages trailhead, up a long mountain road
The standard route up Wilson Peak west of Telluride starts at the Rock of Ages trailhead, reached by county roads and a forest road off Highway 145, and tops out as a serious Class 3 fourteener climb.
Read note ->Cars and driving (3)
Cars and driving
Black Bear, Imogene, and Last Dollar are seasonal 4WD roads, not shortcuts
Telluride's famous backcountry routes — Black Bear Pass, Imogene Pass, and Last Dollar Road — are rough, high, seasonal roads that open only after snowmelt and demand the right vehicle and skill.
Read note ->Cars and driving
Lizard Head Pass is the year-round road south of Telluride, weather and all
Highway 145 over Lizard Head Pass is the main route south of Telluride and stays open year-round, but winter weather and avalanche control can close it for short stretches.
Read note ->Cars and driving
The San Juan Skyway is the 236-mile loop that starts at Telluride's doorstep
The San Juan Skyway is a 236-mile loop through the San Juan Mountains that the U.S. named an All-American Road in 1996, and Telluride sits right on it.
Read note ->Local rules (2)
Local rules
Around Telluride, short-term rental rules depend on which town you're in
Telluride, Mountain Village, and unincorporated San Miguel County each set their own short-term rental rules and taxes, so the address decides which ones apply.
Read note ->Local rules
In San Miguel County, your address decides who makes the rules
San Miguel County is a statutory county, so a single 'Telluride' mailing address can fall under the county, the Town of Telluride, or the Town of Mountain Village — three separate governments.
Read note ->History and culture (6)
History and culture
Norwood and Wright's Mesa: the ranching side of San Miguel County
On the county's drier west end, Norwood sits on Wright's Mesa, a ranching and farming area very different from the resort towns around Telluride.
Read note ->History and culture
Telluride runs on festivals, and Bluegrass weekend is the heart of it
Telluride's summer calendar is built around festivals, from Bluegrass in Town Park each June to the Film Festival's secret program on Labor Day weekend.
Read note ->History and culture
Telluride's old town is a recognized mining-era historic district
Telluride's historic core is recognized as a National Historic Landmark District tied to Colorado's hard-rock mining era, which shapes how the town looks and what owners can change.
Read note ->History and culture
The Galloping Goose: how a struggling railroad kept Telluride connected
The narrow-gauge Rio Grande Southern once served Telluride, and during hard times it ran odd rail cars called Galloping Geese to keep going.
Read note ->History and culture
The powerhouse above Bridal Veil Falls is a piece of electrical history
The Smuggler-Union (Bridal Veil) hydroelectric powerhouse perched above Telluride's Bridal Veil Falls is tied to the early use of alternating-current power for mining.
Read note ->History and culture
Why it's called San Miguel County, and how the county began
San Miguel County was created in 1883 around the Telluride mining boom, and its name comes from the San Miguel River, a Spanish name meaning Saint Michael.
Read note ->