There is a specific moment on a Telluride ski day when your quads file a formal complaint, your toes stage a walkout, and some deep animal part of your brain starts whispering the word "nachos." That moment is sacred. Do not waste it wandering Colorado Avenue reading menus in a boot walk.
So we made you a map. Below is every happy hour and apres ski spot worth your time in Telluride and Mountain Village, sorted by where you are and what kind of night you are having. Addresses, phone numbers, current hours, and an honest read on the vibe of each place.
One thing before you go: hours below were verified recently, but Telluride runs on seasonal time. Places extend hours when the resort opens, trim them in shoulder season, and happy hour windows move around. Call ahead. Every number is right there, and one 20 second phone call beats standing outside a locked door in ski boots.
Apres Ski on the Mountain: Drink Where You Ski
These are the spots you hit before you take your boots off, while the endorphins are still doing their thing.
The Saloon at Gorrono Ranch
Where: Mid-mountain, ski-in access off the slopes
Phone: 970-728-6900
Hours: Daily, roughly 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. during ski season
Vibe: The one true mid-mountain apres. A historic ranch building turned ski hut, with a sun deck, a fireplace to thaw out by, live music on bluebird afternoons, and chili that tastes exponentially better at 10,500 feet. You ski up, you drink, you drop right back onto a run. It closes with the lifts, so this is your 2:30 p.m. move, not your 6:00 p.m. move. Winter only.
Allred's
Where: San Sophia Station, the mid-gondola stop
Phone: 970-728-7474
Hours: Daily 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Vibe: The most dramatic bar seat in the county. Floor to ceiling windows, 10,500 feet, the whole box canyon spread out below you as the light goes gold. The dining room is genuinely fine dining and needs a reservation, but the bar is the insider move: same views, bar menu, no prix fixe commitment. Ride the free gondola up, have a drink at sunset, ride back down. Costs you nothing but the drink.
Apres Ski in Mountain Village: Boots Off, Buzz On
Tomboy Tavern
Where: 562 Mountain Village Blvd, Mountain Village
Phone: 970-728-7467
Hours: Daily 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Vibe: The default. Right at the base of Chair 4 in the heart of the Village, which means you will end up here whether you planned to or not. Big menu, big space, slope-side patio with an outdoor bar, plenty of TVs for whatever game is on. Burgers, wings, a pimento dip that disappears fast. Works equally well for a family lunch and a rowdy 4:00 p.m. beer.
Telluride Brewing Co. Brewpub & Kitchen
Where: 568 Mountain Village Blvd #136, Mountain Village
Phone: 970-728-1120
Hours: Daily 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Vibe: Local beer at the source. Telluride Brewing has been racking up medals for years, and this Village brewpub is the easiest place to drink it fresh. Smallish inside with outdoor seating, casual counter-style service, limited but solid food menu. Come for the beer, stay because you are too comfortable to leave.
Poachers Pub
Where: 113 Lost Creek Ln, Unit C, Mountain Village
Phone: 970-728-9647
Hours: Monday to Wednesday 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Thursday to Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Vibe: The Village dive, and we mean that with total affection. Pool table, dartboard, unpretentious food that punches above its weight, and famously the spot that stays open latest up here. If everything else in Mountain Village has gone dark and you are not ready, this is where you go. Order the nachos and bring reinforcements.
Tracks Cafe & Bar
Where: 670 Mountain Village Blvd #9520, Mountain Village
Phone: 970-728-0677
Hours: Daily 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Vibe: Steps from the gondola, open from breakfast until late, order at the counter and grab a table. Not fancy and not trying to be. The value play in Mountain Village and a genuinely good spot for a quick outdoor beer while you wait on the rest of your group to finish their last run.
Timber Room at the Madeline Hotel
Where: 569 Mountain Village Blvd, Mountain Village
Phone: 970-369-0880
Hours: Daily 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Vibe: Alpine lodge done properly. Big comfortable bar, patio with heaters, a European mountain lodge feel that lands somewhere between cozy and polished. The step up when you want apres that feels a little more grown up but you are not ready to change out of your ski clothes.
Best Happy Hours in Downtown Telluride
Ride the gondola down, walk two blocks, and you are in a National Historic Landmark District that happens to have an absurd bar-per-capita ratio.
New Sheridan Historic Bar
Where: 231 W Colorado Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-9100
Hours: Sunday to Wednesday 3:00 p.m. to midnight, Thursday to Saturday 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Vibe: The best room in Telluride, full stop. A hand-carved Austrian bar over a century old, pressed tin ceilings, dim light, and a back game room. Walking in feels like stepping onto a western film set, except the whiskey is real and the prices are shockingly reasonable for a town like this. Live music some nights. Small, so it fills up. Go early, get a seat, do not leave.
Last Dollar Saloon
Where: 100 E Colorado Ave, Telluride
Phone: No published direct line. Just walk in.
Hours: Daily 3:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Vibe: Known to everyone as "The Buck," and known to most locals as the place they would rather not discuss in detail. Long bar, fireplace, rooftop deck, reasonable prices, and a crowd that skews heavily local. This is not a date spot and it is not where you take your in-laws. It is where you go when the night has developed a mind of its own. Cash-friendly, dog-adjacent, gloriously unbothered.
there
Where: 627 W Pacific Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-1213
Hours: Daily 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Vibe: Telluride's best cocktail bar, and it is not especially close. Izakaya-style small plates, top-shelf spirits, an intimate room with real personality, and the occasional shot-ski going by. The fried Brussels sprouts remain undefeated. A gentle warning that the drinks are stronger than they taste. It is small, so reservations are strongly recommended, especially in winter.
Oak, The New Fat Alley BBQ
Where: 250 W San Juan Ave, Telluride (in Camel's Garden, at the gondola base)
Phone: 970-728-3985
Hours: Daily 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Vibe: You can quite literally ski to the door. Steps from the town gondola station, which makes it the single most convenient apres stop in Telluride proper. Southern BBQ, fried okra, pulled pork, gumbo, cold beer, zero pretension. Patio seating with a field out front for the kids to burn off whatever energy the mountain did not take. A local institution for a reason.
Smuggler Union Restaurant & Brewery
Where: 225 S Pine St, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-3434
Hours: Daily 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Vibe: House-brewed beer, elevated pub food, and a short walk from the gondola. The dining room is genuinely small, so ski season evenings mean a wait unless you get lucky at the bar. Get lucky at the bar. Steak frites and truffle fries are the order.
Brown Dog Pizza
Where: 110 E Colorado Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-8046
Hours: Daily 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Vibe: Award-winning Detroit-style deep dish in a Colorado mining town, which should not work and absolutely does. Loud, busy, family-friendly, good beer list, and the kind of place where a "quick slice and a beer" turns into two hours. If you are feeding a hungry group after a long day, start here.
Floradora Saloon
Where: 103 W Colorado Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-8884
Hours: Monday to Friday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Vibe: Main Street saloon with a wide-ranging menu and a window seat that is the best people-watching perch in town. Casual, warm, dog-friendly outdoor seating, weekend brunch that locals actually turn up for. Short rib poutine if you are being honest with yourself about what your body needs.
Cornerhouse Grille
Where: 131 N Fir St, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-6207
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Vibe: The sports bar. Plenty of TVs, burgers, wings, and tater tots that deserve their own paragraph. Add the green chili. If your group wants to watch a game and eat something enormous without anyone judging them, this is the answer.
Uno Dos Tres Tacos & Tequila
Where: 123 S Oak St, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-7004
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Vibe: Order at the counter, sit outside, eat birria tacos, drink tequila, feel considerably better about your life. Fast, affordable by Telluride standards, and the papas fritas are dangerously good. The move when you want maximum satisfaction and minimum ceremony.
Wood Ear
Where: 135 E Colorado Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-852-0469
Hours: Daily 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Vibe: Ramen and cocktails, which is arguably the single most correct combination of foods for a cold night at 8,750 feet. Texas-meets-Japan flavors, a serious cocktail list, and a good upstairs room that runs first-come first-served when the downstairs is booked. Ask about the happy hour menu when you call.
When You Want to Sit at a Nicer Bar
Sometimes apres means something other than a plastic cup. These rooms all have bar seating worth taking, and the bar is usually where you can walk in without a reservation.
The National
Where: 100 E Colorado Ave, Suite B, Telluride
Phone: 970-239-6151
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Vibe: Housed in the 120-year-old Telluride National Club building, reimagined into something warm, loud, and genuinely lively. The 10-seat bar serves the full dinner menu, which makes it the best walk-in seat in town. Mediterranean-leaning plates and cocktails that get talked about. The olive oil martini has a following.
La Marmotte
Where: 150 W San Juan Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-6232
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Vibe: Old world French in a historic ice house, and a longtime local favorite for a reason. What makes La Marmotte special is the mix at the bar on any given night: fine dining crowd shoulder to shoulder with Telluride's most colorful lifers. Get there early, prop up the bar, and let the evening happen. Reservations essential for tables.
Kazahana
Where: 126 E Colorado Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-729-8933
Hours: Daily 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Vibe: Serious sushi, which is not a phrase you expect in a former mining town 300 miles from an ocean. Sit at the bar and watch the chefs work. There is typically an early evening happy hour right when doors open, so call and ask, then show up at 5:00 sharp.
The Grand
Where: 100 W Colorado Ave, Telluride
Phone: 970-728-1063
Hours: Evenings, typically from 5:00 p.m. Call for current hours.
Vibe: The most polished room on this list. Big-city sophistication dropped into a box canyon, with a bar menu and cocktail program that hold up against anywhere. Oysters, sashimi, a Campfire Old Fashioned worth ordering. Where you go when the occasion calls for it.
Insider Tips for Apres Ski in Telluride
- The gondola is free and runs until midnight. This is the best apres logistics hack in American skiing. Stay in Mountain Village, ride down for dinner and drinks in town, ride back up at 11:30 p.m. No car, no taxi, no designated driver. Winter service typically begins in late November and runs through early April.
- Altitude changes the math. Telluride sits at 8,750 feet and Mountain Village at 9,500. Alcohol hits noticeably harder up here, especially on day one. Drink water between rounds and pace yourself accordingly.
- Reserve the small rooms. there, La Marmotte, The National, and Kazahana are all genuinely small. During ski season and festival weekends, walking in at 7:00 p.m. is optimistic.
- Bar seats beat waiting. Most of the best restaurants in town serve the full menu at the bar on a first-come basis. If the dining room is booked out, the bar frequently is not.
- The 3:00 p.m. window is real. Lifts wind down mid-afternoon and the good seats go fast. If you want a table on a patio at Tomboy or a stool at the New Sheridan, being 30 minutes early makes all the difference.
Stay Where the Apres Is
The single biggest factor in a great apres night is not which bar you pick. It is how far you have to travel afterward.
- Want to walk to everything? Our downtown Telluride rentals put Colorado Avenue, the New Sheridan, and the gondola station within a few blocks.
- Want to ski straight to your door? Our ski-in ski-out rentals and Mountain Village properties keep you close to Tomboy Tavern and the Village apres scene.
- Want to soak after? A rental with a hot tub is the correct final stop of any ski day. This is not negotiable.
- Traveling with a crew? Our larger vacation homes mean the party can continue at home without a bar tab.
- Planning ski season now? Browse our Telluride winter rentals and our full dining guide.
Telluride Happy Hour FAQ
What is the best apres ski bar in Telluride?
Depends what you want. For on-mountain, Gorrono Ranch. For views, Allred's at the mid-gondola station. For convenience, Oak at the gondola base in town. For pure atmosphere, the New Sheridan Historic Bar. For a proper cocktail, there.
Does Telluride have happy hour specials?
Many spots do, but windows shift by season and are rarely posted online. Call ahead using the numbers above. Our team can also tell you what is currently running when you check in.
Can I get from Mountain Village to downtown Telluride at night?
Yes, and for free. The gondola runs from 6:30 a.m. to midnight during its operating seasons, connecting Mountain Village, San Sophia, and downtown Telluride. It does close for maintenance in the spring and fall, so confirm dates if you are visiting in the shoulder seasons.
Do I need reservations for happy hour in Telluride?
Not for bars and saloons. Very much yes for the small restaurants during ski season and festival weekends. When in doubt, call.
Are Telluride bars family friendly?
Several are. Tomboy Tavern, Brown Dog Pizza, Oak, Floradora, and Cornerhouse Grille all work well with kids. The Last Dollar Saloon and the KOTO-crowd late night spots are adults only.
Book Your Telluride Stay
Our team lives here, drinks here, and has strong opinions about all of it. Tell us what kind of trip you are having and we will point you at the right bar and the right property.
Call us at 888-998-6471 or get in touch here. Browse all our Telluride vacation rentals, check the current specials, and book direct for the best available rate.
The first round is on you. The recommendations are on us.
Hours, phone numbers, and locations verified as of publication. Telluride businesses adjust hours seasonally and happy hour windows change without notice. Please call ahead to confirm before you head out.