East Dallas Camping Area
Campground
Campground · 4.6 mi from the trail
Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Telluride
Middle Loop
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 0.4 mi
- distance
- 52 ft
- climb
- 8,668 ft
- high point
- Moderate
- difficulty
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
Middle Loop is a cross-country ski route in Colorado, about 3.4 miles from the town of Ridgway. The loop is short, covering roughly 0.43 miles, and it rises from about 8,603 feet to about 8,668 feet, a total gain of 52 feet. The climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about 0.05 miles in, where the grade reaches 6 percent. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Telluride, at a similar elevation, show January highs around 36°F with lows near 0°F, while June and July run in the low to mid 70s. The station sits about 22 feet lower than the loop's high point, so temperatures on the loop may run slightly cooler. The North Fourty and Meadow Loop routes are both about 0.2 miles away, making it easy to link them into a longer outing. For paddling, East Fork Dallas Creek is about 3 miles off, and Ouray KOA offers camping about 5.2 miles away.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after If it rains Smuggler Union Tramhouse
Attraction
On your way back · 12 mi
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in TellurideLocal outfitters
- Peak Mountain Guides9 mi away
- Cedar Creek RV Park and Lodging26 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Jul, Sep
Best time to visit Middle Loop
Best months: June–July and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
36° / 0°
10 wet
Feb
38° / 5°
9 wet
Mar
44° / 13°
10 wet
Apr
51° / 22°
9 wet
May
60° / 29°
9 wet
Jun
73° / 34°
7 wet
Jul
77° / 41°
12 wet
Aug
74° / 40°
15 wet
Sep
68° / 34°
11 wet
Oct
57° / 23°
8 wet
Nov
45° / 13°
8 wet
Dec
36° / 2°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Telluride 4wnw, CO, 12 mi away at 8,646 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)North Fourty
Next door
1.44-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 243 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Meadow Loop
Next door
0.85-mile loop in Colorado with 118 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Telluride Ski Area
~24 min drive
Telluride Ski Area in Colorado has 20 lifts and 107 runs, 18 easy, 41 intermediate, 24 advanced, 23 expert, 3,891 ft vertical drop.
SKI
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~28 min drive
2.06-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 290 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Sandy Horvath-Dori from Grand Junction, CO, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Iron Fen
~23 min drive
0.43-mile ski trail in Colorado with 117 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Parking Access Trail
~1 min drive
0.45-mile trail in Colorado with 23 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Zach Dischner, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Silverton Mountain
~31 min drive
Silverton Mountain in Colorado has 1 advanced downhill run with 714 ft vertical.
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Dewdrop
~28 min drive
Dewdrop is a 0.35-mile trail in Colorado with 104 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Sandy Horvath-Dori from Grand Junction, CO, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Brooklyn
~23 min drive
Brooklyn is a 0.52-mile route in Colorado with 378 feet of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
