Crested Butte Travel Guide

The popular holiday destination of Crested Butte is located in Gunnison County and is considered the wildflower capital of Colorado. However, when the resort is covered in white each winter, the flowers are forgotten and skiers from all over the world descend on this resort town, which is often touted as one of the best extreme skiing locations on the planet. Both the US Extreme Skiing Championships and X-Games have been hosted here and the extensive terrain has something to offer everyone. The resort town is famous and well-loved within the skiing community as a laidback, unpretentious, fun-loving place to visit; 'Worth Getting To', as the Crested Butte saying goes.

Skiing

Although the reputation and renown of this resort is in the extreme skiing arena, there truly is something for all levels. Most of the mountain is suited for intermediate skiers and riders but there's plenty of terrain suitable for beginners and experts as well. Crested Butte also has a terrain park, Canaan, which has a number of jumps, tables and rails for beginners and intermediates. There's also a mini half pipe for beginners in the terrain park.

Shopping

Crested Butte has almost everything holidaying visitors could possibly want for mountain sports, including rental and repair shops. For other shopping needs the resort is quite limited, but there are some gift shops and clothing stores available for souvenirs. Avid shoppers may be a little disappointed, but the resort does provide everything visitors may need on holiday.

Restaurants

There are fantastic restaurants across the town that offer a variety of foods. Among other things, visitors will find seafood, vegetarian options, great steak and pizza.

Nightlife

A small mountain, Crested Butte has a charm that relies on the friendliness of the regulars and holidaymakers who frequent the bars, pubs and breweries. Talk of the Town offers a variety of bar games, such as foosball, pinball, pool and video games, and of course a happy hour every afternoon, while The Eldo Brewery is a popular microbrewery with live music and dancing on weekends.

Holiday activities

There are many popular activities for the whole family, including tubing, sleigh rides and dog sled tours. Visitors should consider heading to the Nordic centre as well, as it offers 25 miles (35km) of groomed trails for skating, snow-shoeing and sledding. It's also worth going to the historic town or the heritage museum to find out about Crested Butte's colourful past. Hiking, camping, fishing and whitewater rafting are available in summer.

Any negatives?

Crested Butte lies some 250 miles (400km) from Denver International Airport, so it's further out than other popular Colorado resorts.