We are staying at Mary Illium during the festival, should we set up there if we arrive a couple of days before, or can we find space in any of the other campgrounds? If we set up in MI will we be allowed to wander into the other campgrounds until the festival begins?
I’m thinking we should set up in MI just to stake out a spot, but would like to check out the action in the other campgrounds.
Your instincts are right on. Set up camp at Mary E as soon as you arrive. You will be able to get into Town Park up until Thursday morning, which is when the festival officially starts. Shuttles will run from Mary E into town starting on Saturday the 11th, so you have a free and sober ride back and forth.
Similar question. Hell, it may even be more/less the same exact question… :lol
We too have camping at Mary E. Since we are coming from Memphis and have never been in the Mountains (or at altitude), I booked the first two nights at the Victorian Inn in town (Sun, Mon). I thought it might be best to ease the wife (and me) into all things TBF and Telluride…
I’ve been wondering if there would be any real benefit for us to claim our tent spot as soon as we arrive on Sunday, then catch shuttle back to town? I do have a vehicle pass for Mary E.
If I were to set up camp early, other than the need to solidly stake down the tent, etc and introducing myself to future neighbors, could I reasonable assume no one would goof with my camp/equipment?
Yo AG,
If it were me, I’d set up at Mary E when you get to town on Sunday/Monday. Why unpack at Victorian, then pack to move to Mary E, all to set up camp again on Tuesday? Set up camp first, then enjoy all the great pre-fest stuff going on, or go for a hike!
Nobody should mess with your stuff, just keep things out of site to keep the honest folks honest. Everyone really will watch out for each other like they are family, which you will find that they are!
If you’re staying in Telluride the first two nights you have options. I would stop and look the campground over first. The Victorian Inn will have parking spots so you can drive into Telluride, check into your room. Then come on over to town park for the goddess walkabout, have your wife dress up for the occasion, Sunday afternoon and New Year’s Eve party that night and meet many of the folks on this forum. If you do set up your tent first it should be fine, see what the weather is doing and what it looks like in the campground. I haven’t stayed at Mary E. but I doubt that it fills up that fast the first two days. You can drive back to the campground Monday morning to set up after a good nights sleep and party.
Sweet. Thanks for the advice PP, sounds like a plan. :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup
Hello, Yes if you get there early you can set up and come back later. Or just leave a tarp on the ground. Mary E. will be the first place you need to go actually. Everything starts at the campground. The campground opens the Saturday before the fest starts. There are people at the welcome tent that will answer any questions you might have. There will be plenty of people out there by the time you get there. But there is allot of space with flat ground. There are no set sights. All flat ground is open. I have actually made life-long friends with the people that set up next to us.
There is really no need to go anywhere else after you get there. We are a very friendly bunch of people that stay out there. Trust me when I say there is a great many people that really wouldn’t want to camp anywhere else than Mary E. :welcome We welcome all newbie’s. By the end you will more than likely become a full-blown Festivarian just like the rest of us out there. :concert
The buss’s are usually running Wednesday morning. You can drive back and forth to town before that. A vehicle pass will allow you to have your car/trailer in a spot in the camp ground. It will not however get you in the town gates. Once the buss’s are up and running you will no longer need to move your vehicle. :cheers
:wave The best advice for ascending to altitude is to stay hydrated and remember that alcohol packs a much larger kick, so be careful or just ask Sugar. You may need to drink up to a gallon of water per day. Bananas are an excellent fruit help keep your potassium load up and help stave off the effects of the high mountains.
:peace
Great advice, Hippie - its worked like a charm every time! In fact, we’ve already started our preparation by increasing our daily water intake and including a banana a day with breakfast! No need to wait until getting to 8750 to get your body ready for Festival 
This is great advice for the trip there, too. Drink lots of water on the road!
Aren’t there bananas in crunchy frog?
Oops, sorry Hooch.
:wave Crunchy frog tends to be the main reason I need to drink a gallon of water a day. We can’t can’t be responsible for your poor life decisions.
:peace
Don’t be silly. There is no real food in Crunchy Frog. It has zero nutrition. It comes with no guarantees. I can’t even remember what I put in it year to year. Usually it’s whatever is on sale at the liquor store and whatever is in that leaky barrel behind the chemical company.
Lack of memory and crunchy frog go hand in hand. At least in my experience.
Al, there is a lot of time between the Goddess Walk and the NYE party, which isn’t going to happen this year anyway. Cascadia Dome unfortunately will not be there this year. Alrghtgy be sure to bring warm clothes for nighttime! Along with the higher elevation comes cooler temps, and downright cold at night. You will be grateful for that hotel room! You’re going to have a great time; welcome! Oh I should tell you that the Victorian just has you park on the street so be sure to get a pass to put in your car. There has been some construction going on this year, so the parking could be better, could be worse. Some things you just have to wait and see what is going on when you get there, because there are a lot of changes from year to year in Telluride. I think folks will be pretty surprised when they drive in and see all the new buildings at the high school, but for you it will all be new!
Well if your out-and-about meetin the neighbors feel free to stop on by camp “Sunny Side Up”. We will more than likely be right along the road again. I’ll be the one with the solar panels. I let people charge their phones with my little system. If all goes as planed I will have the system up and going on Tuesday morning.
As far as safety goes. I have been letting people plug in to my system for 5 years. There has NEVER been anything come up missing. Or any kind of trouble like that. Mary E. is filled up with people that are all there for the same reason. Everybody pretty well lives life as it should be, and well you just don’t need to worry that much about your stuff. Besides, most people have so much stuff packed in their car…There’s no room for any of your stuff too. :cheers
Thanks Skyrunner! We look forward to meeting you guys!! :cheers
I have a few more Mary E questions as we get closer to Crunch time…err, Crunchy Frog time. :lol
I have a vehicle pass for Mary E. How does the campsite selection go? Is it wide open and park wherever you like?
Is any area of Mary E more desirable, besides the obvious (proximity to Porta-John, shuttle pickup, water, shade)?
If I understand correctly, shuttle from Mary E doesn’t start till Wed. If I want to stake out my campsite when we arrive on Sun and leave car at camp, would there be any transport available back to town? Cab, Uber, etc?
Water. Is there a water tank that stays at Mary E which is available 24/7?
Ice. Is ice delivered daily at pre-designated time(s) or is it available 24/7?
I’ll take a stab at that, alrghtgy.
You can set up wherever you like within reason at Mary E. The earlier you get there the better your choices will be. If you get there Sunday you will have your pick of many good spots. You should be able to leave the campground and return with your vehicle until Wednesday but check with gate before doing so. The shuttle won’t start until Wednesday. Also, there will be no water until Wednesday if this year is the same as it was two years ago. Water is available at all times after that.
Ice is sold by the gate staff and is available at all times unless they run out. If they do, don’t worry. They will get more.
I never saw a cab there so maybe someone else out there has an answer to that.
Hello again. As far as selecting a place to camp goes typically the further back you go the louder it gets. There will be plenty of room for you guys to find a good spot. There is usually some real good flat ground to the left about 100 yards after the big right hand turn. The closer you are to the front the easier it will be to drive in and out of too. Plan on driving yourself until Wednesday. It really won’t be a big deal to drive in and out until about Wednesday afternoon.
The ice person is there at 8:00am, and 3:00pm, and is available up by the welcome tent. Water is also available for free in the festival grounds.
Be prepared for cold nights. Bring extra blankets for both above and below you.
The biggest thing to plan on…EVERYTHING is uphill. I don’t know how but every direction you turn is uphill at some point. :lol