What to do in Crested Butte

The Wildflower Capital of Colorado

In my mind, Crested Butte is known for three main things: wildflowers, mountain biking, and skiing. That’s just in my mind though! Crested Butte is also well known for all the outdoor recreation it offers: hiking, biking, fishing, golfing, rock climbing, SUPing, kayaking, and off-roading. As it gets colder, Crested Butte is known for its iconic ski resort, fat biking, dog sledding, tubing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing; you get the point. In summary, it’s probably the coolest town in Colorado!

Jump to:

1. How to get there
2. Camping
3. Mountain Biking
4. Restaurants
5. Wildflower Hikes
6. Skiing/Snowboarding/Snowshoeing
7. Crested Butte FAQs

I first heard of Crested Butte thanks to an Outtherecolorado.com post about a wildflower festival in the town. Realizing that the festival was that weekend, I burned a day of leave, loaded up the Jeep, and drove almost-200 miles from Colorado Springs to Crested Butte, CO for what I thought was going to be a handful of flowers…boy did I underestimate!

How to get to Crested Butte

The primary way to Crested Butte (from CO Springs at least) is via Hwy 50 through Canon City, Cotopaxi, and Poncha Springs; talk about a scenic drive! If you’re coming from Denver, see below in the FAQs for the best route. Back to the Colorado Springs route: Just outside Canon City, the road you’re on (Hwy 50) hooks up with the Arkansas River for the next 44 miles. Relax and soak in the views along this drive as the river twists and turns throughout a canyon drive, bringing a real sense of what a mountain cruise is supposed to look and feel like.

Pro tip: Start your drive early and swing by the Royal Gorge to take a walk across America’s highest suspension bridge, just shy of 1,000 feet over the Arkansas River! It’s about 10 miles outside of Canon City.

Two hours into your trip you’ll reach the town of Salida: an amazing little mountain town full of killer food and, believe it or not, surfing! Whitewater park has this artificially formed section of the river that allows for a continuous wave so adventure junkies can surf on their paddleboards or boogie boards for as long as they can; it’s super cool! After you’ve finished watching that for a while, head to Moonlight Pizza and Brewpub for their braided breadsticks and incredible pizza before getting back on the highway.

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Continue west towards Monarch Pass and be sure to have your camera ready. Every twist on this epic pass over the Continental Divide offers chances to see abundant wildlife and picturesque views of the Sawatch and La Garita mountains. Once over the pass, you’ll find the drive to be relatively boring between Sargents and Gunnison, but I promise the destination is worth it! If you’re feeling tired, swing through Mocha’s Coffeehouse & Bakery for a coffee or signature Red Bull smoothie, then get back on the road for one final 30-minute push to Crested Butte

You’ve Reached Your Destination!

Alas, you’ve arrived in the town of Crested Butte, the wildflower capital of Colorado! There’s even a festival that celebrates the wildflowers every year, complete with guided hikes to prime viewing locations and photography classes. If wildflowers aren’t your thing, consider going during Bike Week instead. Bike Week is an awesome Crested Butte tradition that involves shutting down main street so locals can dress up in ridiculous outfits, drink beer, and ride through town in extremely austere bicycle creations. It’s the coolest! Anyone can participate too, so be sure to bring your bike and a crazy outfit!

King’s crown, Glacier lilies, Lupines, Scarlet paintbrushes, Larkspurs; these are just a few of the wildflowers you’ll encounter if you get here at just the right time (mid-July). The wildflower festival is held each July with specific weeks varying due to how the snow is melting and the temperatures are bringing about warmer weather so keep an out out on their page for more information as it gets closer to July.

Camping

If you’ve made the trek all the way down here, why not stay the night! I’d strongly recommend camping here since hotel prices during the festival (or anytime, really) can be absurdly high. Plus, you didn’t come all this way just to sit indoors, you came to explore! If you’re looking for some basic amenities, I’d highly recommend staying at the Oh Be Joyful campground just outside of Crested Butte. Prices are extremely cheap, and you’re just feet away from some of the best beginner mountain biking trails in the Butte!

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If you’re not up to paying for a campsite (I totally get it!) you can try your luck in Washington Gulch by taking a left on County Road 734, continuing for 6 miles until you reach Gunnison National Forest. The second time I came here, I stayed near 38.958N 107.061W and it was a perfect spot. However, I should mention that the COVID summer of 2020 took a real toll on the Washington Gulch area thanks to careless campers. That area now only allows camping in designated areas, meaning no more camping anywhere in the National Forest around there. Read more about it here.

Mountain Biking

Regardless of if you stay at Oh Be Joyful or in the National Forest just up the road, I’d recommend getting an early start on your mountain bike because there is so much to see and always so little time. First up: start out with some singletrack! Take the Lower Loop trail (perfect for beginners) into town and grab a coffee at one of the many cafes. Feeling something harder? Don’t head into town, rather bike up CR734 towards the Yule Pass Trailhead for impeccable views of the valley from the Paradise Divide, 11,250ft in elevation!

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Restaurants

After some intense mountain biking, head into town for a well-deserved lunch at Bonez for wickedly strong margaritas (the kind they warn you about first) and some super-creative dishes like the Hail Seitan or El Diablo. Not in the mood for creative Mexican dishes? Pizza is a definite go-to while visiting the Butte, especially Secret Stash Pizza, voted best pizza in Crested Butte every year since they opened their doors. And lastly, you can’t properly recharge with out some dessert, so make sure you check out Nicky’s Mini Donuts and grab a 4-pack of creative, mini donuts like s’mores, death by chocolate, or even Nerds!

Wildflower Hikes

When you’ve finally recharged, it’s time to head back out and see what the Butte is all about: the incredible landscapes. You can find a recommended list of wildflower hikes here, but for a quick easy fix, just drive to the Peanut Lake parking lot (38.88N, 107W) for amazing shots of Mules Ears and Alpine Sunflowers as far as the eye can see.

Looking for a more diverse landscape like a mix of Calypso Orchids, Elephant Heads, Fireweeds, Glacier Lilies, and Lupines? Take the country road out of town towards Oh Be Joyful campground and Nicholson Lake for some amazing views like the ones below!

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Wherever you find yourself while you’re visiting Crested Butte for wildflowers, please remember that picking, cutting, or walking on wildflowers or other plants is Illegal on public land, so be sure to stay on the trail at all times, and keep your fur babies on leash so everyone who visits can experience what a wonderful place Crested Butte is.

Lastly, if time allows, swing up and over the Paradise Divide for an amazing view of Emerald Lake!

Skiing/Snowboarding/Snowshoeing

Tucked away from busy resorts like Copper, Winter Park, Breckenridge, and everything else within a few hours of Denver, Crested Butte offers not only some of the best skiing and snowboarding, but the best views while you’re doing it also!

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a speed junkie or a monster in the terrain park, Crested Butte has something for everyone. I don’t need to explain with words here when I can let pictures do the talking for me–see below!

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Not up for snowboarding or skiing? Try your hand at snowshoeing! Head over to Crested Butte Nordic to rent a pair of snowshoes for the day, park at (insert), and just start walking up the road! Snowmobiles will be the only thing you’ll see up here because the snow is way too deep to drive through (learned that one the hard way lol), so enjoy the peace and quite!

Revel in the fact that if nobody has taken a path you find appealing, that you’ll be the first and only person to walk on that path on that day–ever. I think that’s the real joy of globetrotting–going where nobody has gone before!

From hiking to snowboarding and every activity in between, Crested Butte has something for everyone. If you have the time, I’d highly recommend visiting this area at least once while you’re in Colorado (stationed there or visiting). Remember to leave no trace, and have a great time exploring!

FAQs

• Are Crested Butte’s restaurants open?
  • Yes! Most all restaurants are fulling open again within state guidance and are offering take out
• Is Crested Butte on the Epic Pass? Ikon Pass? Good for beginners?
  • Yes. No. Absolutely! If a beginner, stay near the Prospect Lift for a nice, easy slope.
• How is Crested Butte skiing?
  • Crested Butte has some of the most amazing views while on any mountain (at least for the Epic Pass). You can easily see the iconic Maroon Bells up to the North right after you drop in from the Silver Queen Express Lift.
• How far is Crested Butte from Denver?
  • About 4 hours and some change. Take I-70 into Frisco (the town right after the Eisenhower Tunnel) then head south towards Leadville and Buena Vista. Once at BV, head west on Hwy 306 and you’ll be there in no time! Coming from the Springs? Follow my directions here
• What to do in Crested Butte?
  • What to do in Crested Butte in the summer: hiking, biking, fishing, golfing, rock climbing, wildflower viewing, SUPing, kayaking, and off-roading.
  • What to do in Crested Butte in the winter: skiing, snowboarding, fat biking, dog sledding, tubing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing; you get the point.
• When is the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival?
  • Usually mid-July, but rain/snowfall can vary the date dramatically. Check their official website here!
• When to visit Crested Butte?
  • That depends: what are you looking to do? For summer sports, singletrack and hiking routes usually dry up around the beginning of July. For winter sports, Crested Butte has averaged a good amount of snowfall at the end of December, beginning of January according to onthesnow.com, check out their average snowfall graphs here and see for yourself!
• Where to stay in Crested Butte?
  • If you’re visiting in the summer, go camping for free (or at least dirt cheap)! Click here for my in-depth camping review for Crested Butte.
  • If you’re going in the winter, most all places in Crested Butte are relatively pricey, so if cost isn’t an issue, stay in any one of the beautiful B&Bs. If you’re a globetrotter on a budget like I am, stay just outside of town in Gunnison for much more affordable rates.
• Where to hike in Crested Butte?
  • For wildflowers, read this portion of my post
  • For a more strenuous hike, hike up CR734 towards the Yule Pass Trailhead for impeccable views of the valley from the Paradise Divide, 11,250ft in elevation!
  • For even more options, check out this super user-friendly site here!
• Why visit Crested Butte?
  • If my blog has still yet to entice you to visit this paradise, then maybe this town isn’t for you–that’s OK! Instead, maybe try your hand at one of Colorado’s 14ers or a bigger town like Colorado Springs; full of breweries, picturesque mountain drives, and a great downtown!