Crested Butte, Colorado's last real mountain town
In the evening, the bell of an old church rings out over Elk Avenue, and the peaks turn pink above the wooden façades. Crested Butte was born of coal in the 1880s, at the bottom of a valley ringed by mountains. The mines closed, the Victorian houses stayed, painted blue, red and yellow. The town has only one road in, and that is what saved it.
Is it right for you?
Crested Butte appeals to those who want the mountains without the glitz of Aspen or Vail. You ski committing slopes, ride legendary mountain bike trails, and in the evening dine in an old hardware store turned restaurant.
If you are looking for a lively resort, luxury boutiques and buzzing nightlife, you will be disappointed. Everything here is small, quiet and far from everything: the nearest airport is half an hour away, Denver nearly five hours.
Great for:
- Expert skiers who love off-piste
- Mountain bikers and hikers
- Lovers of wildflowers and aspen forests
- Anyone looking for a real mountain town, without crowds
Not ideal for:
- Beginner skiers who want a huge, easy ski area
- Travellers sensitive to altitude
- Anyone after nightlife and shopping
A mountain-resort budget
Crested Butte remains more affordable than Aspen or Vail, but it is still a Colorado ski resort: in winter, a day lift ticket at the window often costs over 200 dollars, and slopeside rooms are expensive. Buy your pass online in advance to save, and consider rooms in Gunnison, half an hour away, which are much cheaper.
Practicalities
The town sits at 8,900 feet: drink plenty, take it easy on the first day and expect a restless first night. The sun is strong even in winter; bring sunglasses and sunscreen.
A free bus links the town centre with Mount Crested Butte, the resort village three miles away, all day long. You do not really need a car on the spot, but it becomes essential for the summer passes and trails.
Skiing and winter
The Crested Butte Mountain Resort ski area climbs to over 12,000 feet, on the flanks of the mountain that gave the town its name. The lower runs are friendly, but the resort is famous above all for its chutes and extreme terrain, some of the steepest in North America.
Off the slopes, winter means snowshoeing, cross-country skiing on the groomed trails around town, or snowmobiling up the closed passes. The big snowfalls come from December to March.
Summer, flowers and trails
In July, the meadows fill with lupines, Indian paintbrush and wild sunflowers: Crested Butte is the wildflower capital of Colorado, and holds a festival for them every summer. It is also one of the birthplaces of mountain biking, and the trails start straight from town.
Gothic
A former ghost mining town six miles north, now home to a biology laboratory. The dirt road continues to the high meadows and the start of Trail 401, one of the most famous rides in mountain biking.
Kebler Pass
To the west, the Kebler Pass road crosses one of the largest aspen forests on the continent. In late September, when the leaves turn gold, it is the most beautiful drive in the valley.
Elk Avenue
The main street lines up its Victorian façades, cafés, galleries and old-style bars. The mountain bike museum tells how locals invented riding bikes down the passes here in the 1970s.
Friendly tip: in summer, hit the trails early. Thunderstorms break out almost every afternoon in July and August, and it is best to be off the ridges before noon.
Where to eat and drink in Crested Butte?
On Elk Avenue, restaurants occupy the old shops of the mining town: pizzerias with a queue out the door, bistros serving Rocky Mountain cooking with bison or elk, and cafés where skiers warm up after the slopes.
For après-ski in the evening, the town's bars have kept their wooden counters and village feel: you meet as many locals as visitors. In summer, the terraces open facing the mountains.
When to go to Crested Butte?
From December to March for skiing: the snow is plentiful, dry and light, and the days are often sunny. Late June and July for wildflowers and mountain biking, when the high trails are finally clear of snow.
Late September is a rare moment, when the Kebler Pass aspens turn gold. Avoid April, May and November, however: between seasons, many hotels and restaurants close, and the trails are muddy.