The Telluride Ridge Trail is a 2 mile route between the St. Sophia Station of the Telluride Gondola and Mountain Village, the part of the Telluride Ski Area that doesn't fit into the main valley.
I started at the St. Sophia Station after riding the free Gondola up from Telluride Town. The Gondola station in town is right off the River Trail, offering some connectivity for an ongoing hike.
The Ridge Trail starts just under and to the right of the Gondola. At the same point there are ski roads leading back down to Telluride. There is a Nature Center at St. Sophia that has information on other trails on the mountain, and some activities for children.
The upper part of the trail is steep and rocky but offers some stunning views. Everyone I talked to said to watch out for mountain bikers rambling down hill.
The forest is very thick along the Ridge Trail with spruce, fir, and aspens. The trees are so thick that the mountain views are reduced to glimpses in some spots. The trail gets smoother and less steep lower down. The trail ends very near to the Mountain Village Gondola Station.
Mountain Village has what appears to be more of a European village architecture style, rather than the Victorian style that prevails in Telluride. The golf course is up here, saving the Valley Floor for open space. I rode the Gondola back up and then back down into Telluride Town.
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