Crested Butte Mountain Adventures
The town of Crested Butte, Colorado is incredibly scenic, with Mt. Crested Butte towering prominently over the town at 12,162 feet high. Located just over 4 hours southwest of Denver, Crested Butte is an easy weekend getaway.
Definitely put Crested Butte on your list for Colorado mountain towns to visit. We had so much fun going cross-country skiing, watching the start of a cross-country race up the peak, and exploring this cute town. Here’s what you can expect when you visit!
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There seems to be something to do in Crested Butte for everyone, during all seasons of the year. It’s best for folks that want to visit an adventure town that’s a bit off the beaten path, not as commercialized or busy as the others, and also more reasonably priced.
Downhill and Cross-Country Skiing
The town of Crested Butte was once a mining town and supply center and later became a ski hub. Mount Crested Butte actually sits higher and nearer the slopes and is the ski village / resort area. You can use free shuttles between the towns of Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte.
We hear the skiing here is great, and even near the end of the season it was still a popular place. A woman at a local coffee shop swore by Crested Butte as her favorite place to ski of all the Colorado mountain towns.
We did not do any downhill skiing, but did do a lesson and day of cross-country skiing here in town. It seems fitting to give cross-country skiing a try in the town that calls itself the Nordic Ski Capitol of Colorado.
Grand Traverse
The evening we arrived was actually the start of the Grand Traverse, an annual cross-country skiing race that takes place annually in March or April, starts at the bottom of the slopes in Mount Crested Butte, traverses the mountain range, and ends in Aspen 40 miles later. It also starts at midnight, so shortly before we made our way out to the slopes to watch the show.
It was a very festive atmosphere as the racers gathered, each wearing headlamps, and then took off up the slopes when the race gun sounded, lights eventually cresting the first hill and fading into the distance. It really is a neat thing to watch if you happen to visit during this time.
Due to snowfall a few days before, there was actually significant avalanche danger, and so only for the third time in the race’s 17 year history did the plan change for the Grand Traverse to become the Grand Reverse and the racers turn around part way through the course to return to the finish in Crested Butte.
It was also neat to be able to go online and see the progress of the racers as they each wore GPS trackers. We are definitely in awe of the skill and stamina those skiers must have to do that race!
Lots of people were gathering at the start line, carrying their gear and poles, and getting into their cross-country skis.
The crowd was led by someone who was dressed up and called himself “The Pope.” He welcomed the racers and then gave the command to go!
And then they were off, gradually fading into the distance getting further and further away up on the slope of the mountain.
In the summer, the Grand Traverse holds both a mountain run and mountain bike race from Crested Butte to Aspen. Together, the three of these events are called the Grand Traverse Triple Crown.
Walk The Town
You can shop and enjoy the restaurant scene all year long. The main road for pedestrians to walk and check out local businesses is Elk Avenue. Elk Avenue has a nice long stretch of shops and restaurants to check out but easily walkable.
I thought this main street was particularly charming and mountain town chic, especially with its many brightly colored facades, compared to other mountain towns we’ve been in before.
Check Out The Art Scene
Crested Butte has a reputation for being artsy and has lots of artisans, events, and venues that foster this creative spirit. The Crested Butte Center for the Arts hosts lots of events, and the Crested Butte Arts Festival and Crested Butte Film Festival celebrate the arts every year. In the summer, stroll through town on an Art Walk through the local galleries on certain evenings.
See Wildflowers
Crested Butte was named the “Wildflower Capital of Colorado” by the Colorado State Legislature in 1990. We’ve not been here during wildflower season, but have seen some gorgeous Colorado wildflowers elsewhere in the state. Pictures of Crested Butte wildflowers seem to blow what we’ve experienced out of the water so I can believe their wildflower claim to fame.
Visit from May to August if you want to see them, and more specifically mid-July to early August to try and catch peak wildflower season here. The annual Crested Butte Wildflower Festival takes place in July.
Ride the Scenic Chairlift
You can choose between riding the Red Lady Express lift and Silver Queen Express lift. At the top you can hike or bike down. It’s pretty pricey, but maybe worth it if you plan to get your money’s worth biking or hiking from there.
Go Mountain Biking
You can take your bike on the Red Lady Express lift and ride down. There are more than 30 miles of downhill and cross-country bike trails to ride on. Even class 1 e-bikes are allowed.
Take a Hike
If you take a lift, you can choose to hike to the top of Mt. Crested Butte or just go part way and enjoy the scenic views in the Elk Mountain Range. Crested Butte is only 30 minutes or so north of Gunnison, so it’s also surrounded by the Gunnison National Forest.
For families with kids I would do the StoryWalk and Letterboxing on the Lower Loop trail.
See the Peak Lit Up
On certain nights, the peak of Crested Butte is lit up by a spotlight. You should be able to see it for holidays, annual events, and the Grand Traverse. It’s an imposing sight, seeing the peak floating in the darkness high above.
Enjoy a Concert or Festival
And finally, we can’t forget to mention the numerous festivals, concerts, and other events that the town hosts. Here are the festivals we are aware of:
- Wildflower Festival: peak wildflower season
- Film Festival: featuring award winning films
- Arts Festival: art competition and art events
- Cattlemen’s Days: oldest rodeo in Colorado
- Chili and Beer Festival: craft breweries & chili tasting
- Mountain Words Literary Festival: celebrating literature with writers from all over the USA
- Gunnison River Festival: various river activities for awareness of this importance resource
Visiting With Kids
Crested Butte is a great Colorado mountain town to visit with kids. As you read above, there are lots of family friendly activities depending on what your kids like to do and their ages.
Be aware that to ride the scenic lifts everyone needs to get to the chairlift point under their own power and no kids in carriers are allowed on the chairlift. This could be problematic for younger children. Bike trailers and kid carriers are also not allowed on the chair lift bike trails.
Kids will also like the Crested Butte Adventure Park. For the ticket price you can do bungee jump trampolines, rock climbing, gem panning, mini golf.
If you need a play break, take the kids to Rainbow Park where they have fun play structures, fields to run around in, and a covered pavilion.
A good indoor activity would be a day at the Trailhead Children’s Museum.
What to Eat and Drink
The town of Crested Butte has a super cute downtown area. It was fun just to wander, but here are the places that we specifically tried so if you ever visit it might help you choose among the numerous options:
The Eldo Brewery and Taproom
Truthfully this place was somewhat rundown looking. The best place to sit was out on the deck, though there’s not too much space out there when it’s busy.
We enjoyed having a beer and just hanging out a bit before dinner though. The stout was good. If nothing else, a brewery whose slogan on the door is “a sunny place for shady people” deserves a visit if you like beer.
The Brick Oven Pizzeria & Pub
This pizzeria is fun and casual. The place was packed on a Thursday night, but we still got a seat right away. They have a large selection of beer on tap. We enjoyed the Tom’s Delectable White pizza and overall they had several unique specialty selections.
The Sunflower
What drew us here was an ad that spoke of their farm to table mentality. They have a board at the front that describes where different ingredients they use come from.
I would recommend this place for coffee or a quick lunch, which is exactly what we were looking for. The best spot is up front by the large window.
My Rueben had to be adjusted with turkey instead of pastrami due to availability which was still good, but it was probably too light on the sauce. We don’t remember what sandwich Kevin had, but he thinks it was good if not memorable.
Princess Wine Bar (& Coffee House)
We just stopped in here for a quick coffee after cross-country skiing to rest and perk up but it had a nice bar area and good espresso and cappuccino.
Pitas in Paradise
Pitas in Paradise is a laid back place with fun décor. This is a more relaxed and less expensive option that some other things in the downtown with really tasty food. We had the original gyro and the falafel pita and were both really pleased.
Where To Stay
We stayed at the Nordic Inn, which is nestled in and small compared to the larger hotels and condo buildings around it, but we actually felt like it had the most charm. If you’re looking for something smaller and more niche also, this is the place for you.
It’s been kept really nicely updated and decorated. We felt it was an upscale mountain rustic. If you stay here, get a room on the front side of the building with a view of the Crested Butte Mountain as we did.
Other Must-See Colorado Mountain Towns
For more skiing, cozy winter adventures, or summer wildflowers, check out other must-see mountain towns around Colorado such as Aspen, Vail, and Telluride. In fact, try to see them all!
