driving to festival

[coolpapamimi]

This will be our first time going to the festival and considering all lodging options. Besides camping, staying in Telluride is either nonexistent or way too expensive. Is driving back and forth to Ridgway a reasonable option or do you think that is too far away. How long does it take to drive from Telluride to Ridgway?

[FaceOnMars]

It's about 45-50 minutes from the Mountain Village (TMV) parking garage -> Ridgway ... certainly doable, but perhaps not ideal.  I drive from Ophir (20 minutes) every day and normally need to prepare to spend the entire day in town re: change of clothing for when the temps drop later on at night.  And while there's always something to do during the course of the day/evening, it does become somewhat of a "marathon" to hang out in town from the first note until the last.  Occassionally, I'll go back and forth if need be, but try to avoid it.

However, the two big issues I can see are:

1.)  In all likelihood, you'll need to park your vehicle in the TMV ... which adds time to the whole procedure of taking the gondola back/forth.  You'll need to tack on at least 20 minutes for the actual gondola ride and possibly another 30 minutes for a long gondola line at the end of the day.  So, it might be close to an hour and half from the moment you leave the venue grounds until you arrive at your accommodations in Ridgway.

2.)  Very windy two lane mountain roads with lots of wildlife ... it's not a drive you can just put the cruise control on and zone out.

[coolpapamimi]

thanks, good information, if we decide to camp, is there a good chance we can find a place if we arrive on wed or should we get there earlier.

[yojo]

For Town Park camping most of camping is gone by the Saturday before  . Warner Field you'll be fine by Tuesday or Wednesday. The rest of the camping areas I'm not 100% sure, but I believe you will get solid spots leading up to the festival. Someone else may need to chime in on Mary E and Lawson.

I do not recommend driving after the festival to Ridgway. The extra amount of $ you spend per night on lodging/camping closer to the festival is worth all the gas and headache you will avoid.

If you're into the party Town Park is the way to go and makes the week a breeze. If trying to relax/keep it easy in the evening, Warner might be a tad more chill than TP or the high school (family camping) is the best. I highly recommend being in town and skipping the gondola. It's fun for a ride or two but dealing with that line and time it takes actually on it is a big pain.

Mary E and Lawson require shuttling which I have no experience with but it seems to be just fine for many.

[coolpapamimi]

I am so glad you have this forum, lots of help and information for us first timers. We haven't camped in awhile but that looks like the best option (and most fun). Really looking forward to the experience...thanks

[aaronacp15]

As a loyal Lawson Hill camper I'll chime in:

-My friends and I have camped in Lawson Hill for the past few years, and we have really enjoyed it. However, it is a younger crowd and can turn into quite the party/get very loud before quiet hours.

-We usually show up on Wednesday or Thursday since we fly in from out of town, and we've never had any issues getting a good spot on the grass. There's a really good breakfast spot at the top of the hill, and Telluride Brewing Company is up there as well.

-The shuttle runs every 15 minutes or so, and it's a short ride into town (5 minutes). You'll never have to wait for more than one shuttle when heading to the festival, but if you stay for the end of the festival each night you'll have to wait a good while in line to get on a shuttle. The perk of this is that you meet some fun people and the ride back is typically a rowdy one.

-The main drawback of Lawson is that it is camping on a baseball field so there is absolutely NO shade so if you choose this option bring some shelter or you'll be in trouble.

To be honest, it really won't matter which option to choose. There's no such thing as bad camping in Telluride! 

 Listening to: Sam Bush- Circles Around Me

[coolpapamimi]

thanks, you guys are great...fortunately we were drawn for the Town Park campgrounds. Do I need to get there the Saturday before the festival to get a campsite? I didn't quite understand why if they limit the number of tickets for the campground.

[Bevin]

The Town park campground opens the Saturday prior to the Festival.  You don't need to get there on Saturday.  You want to get there on Saturday.   

[Matt]

If you get to Town Park after Saturday be prepared to hunt around for a spot.  You'll probably find one, but it wont be an ideal location.

[Hot Sugar]

If you get to Town Park after Saturday be prepared to hunt around for a spot.  You'll probably find one, but it wont be an ideal location.

And it won't be a large spot. Chances are you'll only have room for a tent and a few chairs. But you can always share your neighbors' shade. There aren't too many grouches in Town Park.

[coolpapamimi]

are we talking about the same Saturday??? I'm talking about the Sat before the festival starts, like maybe the 13th or Sunday the 14th. You're saying I won't get a decent spot at that time.

[TellurideTom]

are we talking about the same Saturday??? I'm talking about the Sat before the festival starts, like maybe the 13th or Sunday the 14th. You're saying I won't get a decent spot at that time.

You should be fine.
Planet Bluegrass takes over control of Town Park at 8:00 AM the Saturday before festival and that's when the Bear Creek Preserve area of Town Park opens up for camping.
There's an initial land rush for favorite spots at that time, but there's plenty of room available if you get there later in the day or on Sunday.
If you don't get there until Tuesday or Wednesday then things get pretty bleak.

[coolpapamimi]

thanks again...we are very excited yet a little nervous, you all provide a great service to us first timers