What makes Crested Butte a secret is the mountain’s remote location deep in the heart of Colorado’s Gunnison County. It keeps the mass crowds away and lures in the dedicated skier and boarder looking for an authentic ski town experience.
You won’t find the mass market food outlet brands on the heritage Main Street, instead you’ll discover a series of intimate boutique retail outlets and dining destinations run by welcoming locals. In a matter of days, you’ll know the faces that serve you on the ski hill and downtown and wave as they cycle by on colourful bikes made for winter snow.
This is a local haven with residents’ eager to showcase why they choose to call this stunning mountain location home. The National Historic District rating for the colourful town is one reason. The two million acres of national forest that surrounds Crested Butte is another. The buses alone are enough to keep you smiling for days with the local bus system painted like cows, aliens, fairytales, surfer pineapple express and even an ancient geology bus. Did we mention they are free to ride around town?
Head to the peak of the ski mountain’s 1547 acres of skiable terrain and marvel at 360 degree views then point your tips down the fall line and ski the mountain’s family friendly trails. Over half the mountain is dedicated to intermediate skiers and snowboarders with an Extreme Terrain zone for the more advanced and experts looking for a serious thy burn. They’ll get it.
But there’s so much more to Crested Butte than just one rocking ski mountain. The Adventure Park at the base area boasts miniature golf, bungee trampolines and a climbing wall and is open all year round. If you’ve still got energy to burn then jump on a fat bike, take a snow shoe hike, zipline from a suspension bridge or even take a snow cat for a drive. The Snow Cat Driving Experience will get you behind the wheel for some hands on practice grooming snow.
Come dinner time climb into Uley’s Sleigh and head to the hills for a fine dining experience in a remote cabin in the woods or strap into Nordic skis or snowshoes and head to the Magic Meadows Yurt Dinner for local cocktails from Montanya Distillery and beer from Elevation Beer Company with live music.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Crested Butte in February then get yourself along to the Ski Patrol Attitude Adjustment Party, an annual fund raiser that attracts over 500 supporters who party with a purpose.
No matter what month you visit during winter, whatever you do, do not leave Crested Butte without having had the pleasure of a Secret Stash pizza, a coffee at Camp 4 Coffee, Kochevar’s for a beer with a local and The Last Steep for a burger. Tell them we sent you.
