Situated in the heart of the breathtaking San Juan Mountains, Mountain Village is in San Miguel County in Southwestern Colorado. It was founded in 1995 and designed to be a ski-in/ski-out pedestrian-friendly alpine destination resort intended to complement the historic mining town of Telluride. A three-stage, innovative gondola transportation system connects Mountain Village with Telluride. It is the only public gondola transportation system in the country, is free and is faster than driving a car between the two towns. Situated at an average elevation of 9,500 feet, Mountain Village’s year-round population is estimated to be 1,471 people in 2019. Mountain Village and Telluride are home to a world-class ski mountain in operation since 1972 and offering a variety of beginner, intermediate and expert terrain with rarely any lift line. Mountain Village is situated in a remarkable and unusual natural setting, surrounded by the largest concentration of 13,000- and 14,000-foot mountains in North America. A cobblestone pedestrian plaza at the base of the Mountain Village is lined with boutiques, restaurants, hotels, spas, bouldering area, ice rink and is also home to conference facilities, the ski and golf company’s headquarters, the ski and snowboard school and an evolving outdoor recreation system designed for alpine pursuits. Surrounding the core of town is the 18-hole championship golf course as well as custom-crafted mountain residences that abut both the golf course and the ski area. There is also a grocer, post office and many miles of hiking, biking, snowshoe and Nordic trails.