Getting Here
Here’s a promise: Telluride is one of the most beautiful places you will ever visit. In early October, the whole valley is on fire with yellow aspens. And we’re high up. Telluride is a box canyon at 8750 feet; Mountain Village is even higher. Box canyon means there’s one road in, and we’re surrounded by mountains.
Here’s another promise: we have no idea what the weather will do at any time of year. It could be snowing, or it could be sunny and warm. Pack accordingly!
There’s always something on at OT, but we also leave time for hiking, biking, a via Ferrata climb and even just sitting outside Ghost Town coffee to take in the view of the waterfalls.
Timing:
We will kick off the festival with our first Show at The Big Idea Theater on Thursday late afternoon, and continue with three shows each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We also offer so many options outside of The Big Idea – tea ceremonies, yoga, hikes… you name it. And one of our shows this year, for the first time, will take place at the cavernous old abandoned limestone mine above town. It’s going to be wild.
We recommend arriving by Thursday midday, giving you a chance to settle in and drink a lot of water to begin getting acclimated to the high altitude. Monday is best for departures, unless you can stay a few extra days before or after.
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Whether you choose to fly into a regional airport or take a scenic drive from Denver or Salt Lake City, now is the time to consider your journey. Still piecing together the puzzle? We're here to help. Let's work together to begin your Original Thinkers experience today.
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Flights
Flights into the Telluride area are limited and we strongly advise you book immediately. Boutique Air and Denver Air Connection each have two flights per day going from Denver with direct flights into Telluride. We also recommend flying into Montrose Regional Airport for its proximity to Telluride and easy ground transportation. Alternative airports include Durango, Cortez, Grand Junction, Gunnison and Aspen. All of the drives are spectacular, as is driving from bigger, international airports such as Denver, Albuquerque and Salt Lake City. Please click here to see a map of Colorado.
For questions regarding travel, please contact travel expert Sara Silton Spencer at travel@originalthinkers.com
Airport codes and approximate drive times:
Telluride, TEX, 15 minutes.
Montrose, MTJ, 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Cortez, CEZ, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Durango, DRO, 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Grand Junction, GJT, 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Gunnison, GUC, 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Denver, DIA, 6 hours and 30 minutes.
Albuquerque, ABQ, 5 hours and 30 minutes.
Salt Lake City, SLC, 6 hours and 30 minutes.
Airport Shuttles
Telluride Express (800-822-4844) offers ground transportation services from these airports to Telluride/Mountain Village and is Original Thinkers’ preferred transportation provider. They recommend booking 72 hours in advance. While their office is open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., there is a dispatcher on call 24 hours/day for any travel emergencies.
Mountain Limo (888-546-6894) is also available and has similar policies.
Getting Around
The Gondola and the Goose
The Big Idea and all other festival venues are just a short walk away from any Mountain Village hotel. The gondola runs between Mountain Village and Telluride from 7 a.m. until midnight. On Friday and Saturday during the festival, gondola hours will be extended. Telluride’s public bus, the Galloping Goose, runs a loop through Telluride every 20 minutes. In Mountain Village, dial 970-728-8888 during gondola hours for Dial-A-Ride services within Mountain Village.
All of these transportation options are free of charge.
Taxis
Mountain Limo (888-546-6894) is available to schedule rides from 7:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. (their pricing varies by time of ride, distance and number of riders).
ADA Services
The Galloping Goose offers point to point paratransit service privately upon request by calling (970) 728-5700 or every 20 minutes on the regular fixed route.