Looking for a powdery white mountain winter wonderland for downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding? Or a mountain and meadow summer paradise for golf, biking, hiking, horseback riding, rafting and trout fishing? A money-saving Telluride vacation rental, nestled among the aspens and alpine scenery of the Continental Divide in southwestern Colorado, has it all. Plus Old West mining history, music concerts, and the Telluride Film Festival.

Telluride Regional Airport (TEX), the highest in the USA at over 9,000 feet in the San Juan Mountains, is serviced commercially via Denver and Phoenix. Charter air services operate between TEX and Aspen, Vail, and other Colorado ski resorts. Helicopter ski flights also operate out of TEX. Mesa Verde National Park’s ancient Anasazi cliff dwellings, a short hop from the Durango and Cortez airports, are about 2 hours drive to the southwest.

Telluride Ski Resort has high-speed quad chairlifts servicing scenic San Juan Mountain steeps, chutes and box canyons. Gold Hill Lift takes you to powder bowls with heavy snow loads and chutes above timberline. Revelation Bowl on Gold Hill’s east side features spectacular Bee’s Run. Prospect Bowl combines challenging deep mountain terrain with Ute Park’s groomed contours for beginners. Black Iron Bowl is just a short hike from Prospect Lift. Gondolas running between Telluride and the Mountain Village slopes allow you to leave your vehicle parked at your money-saving vacation rental cabin, home or condo.

Summer at your Telluride vacation rental means golf, mountain biking, hiking, rafting, kayaking, trout fishing, picnicking and horseback riding for the whole family. Surrounded by mountains and aspens at 9,500 feet, the par-70 Telluride Golf Course offers money-saving twilight and sunset rates. Hike or bike the San Miguel River trail towards the old Pandora Mill and Bridal Veil Falls to see hydroelectric power being generated. Town Park has a fishing pond, public pool, and playground for the kids, as well as outdoor music concerts.

Telluride started out as an Old West gold and silver mining town serviced by burro transport in the 1870s. Then came the railroad and bank robbers like Butch Cassidy. In the 1970s, snow sports replaced mining as Telluride’s leading industry. Hike to Tomboy Mine to see a bit of the old mining history. Even easier, just take the whole family to the Telluride Historical Museum and purchase one of the five audio walking tours of the town. Plan your money-saving Telluride vacation rental around a bit of modern festival history. Perhaps the Telluride Film Festival, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Jazz Celebration, Blues & Brews, or one of the lesser-known, still undiscovered festivals.