Crested Butte Resort

Home to any number of extreme ski and snowboard competitions, Crested Butte Resort boasts 300 inches of Western Colorado’s best snow falling over 1,100 acres of mountain bliss. If skiing begins to pale, strap on some snowshoes, go tubing, ice skate or take a wintery night-time sleigh ride to dinner. In the summer, the mountain has lift-accessed mountain biking, hiking trails, disc golf and a new Adventure Park, where you can go rock climbing and soar up to 30 feet high on bungee trampolines.

Lakes, Rivers and Falls

Crested Butte is, first and foremost, thought of as a mountain town, but the amount of recreational water nearby shouldn’t be forgotten. The Blue Mesa and Taylor Reservoirs are ideal for boating, fishing and relaxing and a number of rivers and creeks offer rafting, kayaking and fishing. Kayakers may want to check out the Gunnison Whitewater Park, as well.

History and Museums

A mountain town with a rich history, Crested Butte hasn’t forgotten its past and has taken steps to preserve it for all interested in a variety of interesting museums, ghost towns and more.

The Mountain Heritage Museum highlights Crested Butte’s storied history of mining, railroads, outdoor recreation and growth.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame illustrates the journey of mountain bikes over the last half-century, as they developed from modified road bikes to the full-suspension monsters that dominate the downhill circuits today.

A number of ghost towns take visitors back to the days of mining and provide a look into the lives of the miners that lived in them, and Crested Butte’s National Historic District has preserved the feel of a historic mining town.

Scenic Drives

Soaring peaks, tumbling rivers, tranquil lakes, forested mountain passes and rocky crags all surround Crested Butte in every direction. Drive over Kebler Pass along the old railway grade through the West Elk Mountains to Grand Junction, take Monarch Pass over 11,000 feet along the Continental Divide, follow the Black Canyon and the West Elk Scenic Byway on an all-day drive or lose the crowds on your way to Ptarmigan Lake along Cottonwood Pass – all roads here lead to beauty.

Nature and Outdoors

We’ll be honest – people really don’t come to Crested Butte for the shopping, theatre or high culture; if that’s what you’re looking for, you may want to change that flight. But if natural hot springs, the 2,000-foot-deep Black Canyon of the Gunnison (home to some truly incredible long climbing routes), an annual Wildflower Festival (some of the most incredible displays of wildflowers you’re ever likely to see), the canyons and mesas of the Curecanti, uninterrupted solitude in the West Elk Wilderness and numerous peaks all around you sounds like your cup of tea, well, all we can say is remember to keep your pinky’s out.