East Dallas Camping Area
Campground
Campground · 4.0 mi from the trail
Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Telluride
Parking Access Trail
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 0.5 mi
- distance
- 88 ft
- climb
- 8,691 ft
- high point
- Easy
- difficulty
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
The Parking Access Trail is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Colorado, about 0.45 miles long and rising about 88 feet from a starting point near 8,685 feet to a high point of 8,691 feet. The nearest town is Ridgway, about 4 miles away. The trail is a short connector, and its climb is gentle. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.34 miles, with a grade of about 9 percent. The route is easy to fit into a longer day on the surrounding network of ski loops. Winter is the natural season for cross-country skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Telluride show January highs around 36°F with lows near 0°F, while June and July run warmer, with highs in the low to mid 70s. Meadow Loop is about 0.4 miles away and Middle Loop about 0.6 miles. For paddling, East Fork Dallas Creek is about 2.4 miles off, and Ouray KOA offers camping about 5 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 · 11 mi
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in TellurideLocal outfitters
- Peak Mountain Guides9 mi away
- Cedar Creek RV Park and Lodging27 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Jul, Sep
Best time to visit Parking Access Trail
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, 11.4 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)Meadow Loop
Next door
0.85-mile loop in Colorado with 118 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Middle Loop
~1 min drive
Middle Loop is a short 0.43-mile route in Colorado with 86 feet of elevation gain.
Photo: Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Telluride Ski Area
~22 min drive
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Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Uncompahgre River Walk
~13 min drive
1.32-mile route in Colorado with 180 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)North Fourty
~1 min drive
1.44-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 243 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Zach Dischner, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Silverton Mountain
~30 min drive
Silverton Mountain in Colorado has 1 advanced downhill run with 714 ft vertical.
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~29 min drive
Dewdrop is a 0.35-mile trail in Colorado with 104 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Upper Valley Floor
~20 min drive
0.70-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 243 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
