Colorado is a wonderful state to enjoy backpacking and camping and the San Juan Mountains are an ideal location for campers looking for adventure during the day and wonderful stargazing at night.
With wide open public space and plentiful campgrounds, such as Sunshine and Alta Lakes Campgrounds, you’ll have a variety of options for backpacking and camping while exploring Telluride. For campers wanting more activities nearby, we recommend Telluride Town Park as it’s a hub for local festivals and has a swimming pool, barbecue facilities, tennis and volleyball courts, showers, and plenty of walking trails. This campground does not accept reservations and operates on a first come, first served basis and accepts credit cards. The campground opens in May and closes in October.
While camping in the Telluride area, please keep in mind that this is bear country so it’s important to stow food properly and to not leave it outside. Many campgrounds also enforce quiet hours, generally starting at 10 p.m. It’s good to keep in mind that our mountainous weather can change in an instant, so pack for both sunny and snowy or colder weather.
