Telluride Ski Resort‘s Palmyra Peak requires some serious effort to reach the top, but making it to the summit comes with some serious rewards. PeakRankings broke down exactly what makes it stand apart from every other hike-to area on the continent.
Depending on your fitness level, reaching the summit typically takes between two and two and a half hours of hiking through steep and exposed terrain. The altitude is absolutely no joke, with the top sitting at around 13,300 feet above sea level. But once you get there on a clear day, you will be standing at the highest inbounds point of any ski resort in North America, greeted by astonishing views of the San Juan Mountains that may alone make the effort feel worth it.
Simply reaching the summit is an accomplishment in and of itself. The hike is relentless, and the exposure keeps the stakes high the entire way up. For those who want to experience some of this terrain without committing to the full push, there are a few options to drop in early along the route, which can be a smart call if you want to save something in the tank for your descent.
And the descent demands plenty. The chutes off Palmyra are seriously technical, with steep entrances and sustained vertical that goes well beyond what most other extreme hike-to zones in Colorado offer. The terrain is highly exposed and even difficult for ski patrol to access, which means it is not always guaranteed to be open.
Timing your visit later in the season tends to be your best bet for finding it open. But if you get it right, Palmyra Peak offers an experience that is genuinely unlike anything else accessible within a ski resort boundary. For anyone serious about big mountain terrain, the trip out to Telluride is absolutely worth making.
