Frommers.com Frommers.com
Most Recent Crested Butte Forum Posts
Most Recommended Articles
Most Commented Articles

Introduction to Crested Butte

28 miles N. of Gunnison, 224 miles SW of Denver

A delightful little gem of a town, Crested Butte is a year-round destination resort, with wonderful skiing in winter, and hiking, mountain biking, and other outdoor recreational activities in warmer weather. In fact, Crested Butte has the best mountain biking in the state, and boasts of having some of the most colorful displays of wildflowers you'll see anywhere.

The town of Crested Butte was born in 1880 as the Denver & Rio Grande line laid a narrow-gauge rail track from Gunnison to serve the gold and silver mines in the area. But it was coal, not the more precious minerals, which sustained the town from the late 1880s until 1952, when the last of the mines closed. The economy then languished until Mt. Crested Butte ski area was developed in 1961.

An influx of newcomers began renovating the old buildings in the 1970s, and in 1974 the entire town was designated a National Historic District -- one of the largest in Colorado. In 1976, local riders started bicycling off-road; they were integral in the birth of the sport of mountain biking. Crested Butte is quite different from many of Colorado's resorts in that it's not overdeveloped (at least, not yet) and its funky personality still outshines the Western chic.


Back to Top


Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.


Destination Guide
Destination Guide Destination Guide Destination Guide
Destination Guide Destination Guide Frommer's Colorado, 11th Edition Destination Guide Frommer's Colorado, 11th Edition

Author: Eric Peterson
Pub Date: February 15, 2011

Learn More
Destination Guide Destination Guide Destination Guide Related Titles:
50 HIKES IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO: FROM CHACO CANYON TO THE HIGH PEAKS OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS
Destination Guide
AARP Archaeological Sites of the Four Corners Region, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico: ShortCuts
Destination Guide
AARP Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Utah: ShortCuts
Destination Guide
Destination Guide Destination Guide
Destination Guide Destination Guide Destination Guide
Destination Guide
Destinations
Destinations