Local Area Information & History

“The Last Great Colorado Ski Town”

Crested Butte is a small resort town located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. You will find us in the SW corner of Colorado. A former coal mining hub, Crested Butte is now a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities.

The Colorado state legislature has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. In 2004 Crested Butte Mountain Resort was sold to Tim and Dianne Mueller of Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, VT. Crested Butte is located in Gunnison County in southwestern Colorado at an elevation of 8,885 feet. The Town is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery and is a recreational paradise. Crested Butte is a spirited fun-loving community with a population of 1,550.

Local residents and visitors enjoy skiing, hiking, biking and an array of exciting outdoor activities. The ski area resort is in Mt. Crested Butte, three miles north of town. Crested Butte is 28 miles north of the City of Gunnison and 231 miles southwest of Denver.

The Town was incorporated in 1880 and is designated a National Historic District.

Visitor Information:

Crested Butte has a lot to offer...whether it’s summer, winter or in-between. Our mountain scenery is spectacular and recreational opportunities are almost endless. Crested Butte is known as "Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town" and "The Wildflower Capital of Colorado. We’re a town with spunk, energy and friendly, fun-loving locals. Stroll down our streets and alleys and enjoy the historic buildings, most of which date back to the late 1800’s when Crested Butte was a bustling coal mining town.

Crested Butte offers just about everything an outdoor enthusiast desires: skiing, mountain biking, hiking, wildflower viewing, kayaking, fly-fishing and more. Crested Butte Mountain Ski Resort is just minutes from town on the free shuttle bus. Our town also boasts music festivals, great restaurants, art galleries and shops. Crested Butte hosts numerous special events and festivities such as the Wildflower Festival, Arts Fair, Winter Carnival and The Crested Butte Summer Music Festival.

Whether you visit in summer, winter or in-between, you’re sure to enjoy the Town of Crested Butte. Once you have visited Crested Butte you will be ready to unpack forever...

And while you’re here stop by Century 21 Benson-Rous and say hello. We are located at the 4-way stop in the town of Crested Butte. Right next to Harry's Fine Dining (the old Buffalo Grill).

Location: Southwest Colorado, 231 miles southwest of Denver and 28 miles North of Gunnison. Altitude: 8,885 feet Population: 1,537 Number of Housing Units: 961 (2003) Median Single Family Home Sale Price: $625,600 (2004) Gunnison County Gunnison County is 3,260 square miles or about 2,086,400 acres. Thirteen percent of the county is privately owned. The remainder is beautiful open space, primarily owned by the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Curecanti National Recreation Area (CNRA).

The City of Gunnison, the County Seat of Gunnison County, is centrally located in the State of Colorado, 200 miles from Denver and 180 miles from Colorado Springs. Nestled 30 miles west of the Continental Divide, Gunnison is situated at the confluence of the Gunnison River and Tomichi Creek. The elevation is 7,703 feet. The economic base in the County is primarily tourism, followed by education and ranching.

Gunnison is home to Western State College of Colorado. WSC is one of Colorado’s top-notch, 4 year, fully accredited institutions. It employs approximately 275 people full-time, and enrollment is around 2300 students. Western State College offers a unique and balanced combination of academic programs, student to teacher ratio, excellent facilities, and up to date curriculum.

The Gunnison/Crested Butte Regional Airport features the longest single runway in the state, with an Instrument Landing System certified for jet traffic. It is regularly served by airlines providing regional air transportation to Denver and direct ski flights to other major cities.

Today the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC) provides frequent and convenient jet service with airline partners:

• American
• United
• United Express

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport serves the valley and nearby Crested Butte, Colorado with both commercial airline and general aviation flights.

Gunnison County is home to nearly 100 miles of the West Elk Loop, one of 21 scenic byways in Colorado. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of the nation’s newest National Parks is less than an hour from Gunnison, and Curecanti National Recreation Area is 15 minutes away. Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado’s largest body of water, featuring some of the states best fishing, boating, and camping facilities.

Historical Information About Gunnison...

Capitan John Gunnison

John Williams Gunnison (November 11, 1812 - October 26, 1853) was an American explorer.

Gunnison was born in Goshen, New Hampshire in 1812. He graduated from West Point in 1837, second in his class of fifty cadets. His military career began in Florida, where he spent a year in the campaign against the Seminoles. Due to his poor health he was reassigned to the Corps of Topographical Engineers. Initially he explored unknown areas of Florida, searching for provision routes. However, his health soon forced him out of Florida entirely.

From 1841-1849 Gunnison explored the area around the Great Lakes. He surveyed the border between Wisconsin and Michigan, the Western coast of Lake Michigan, and the coast of Lake Erie. On May 9, 1846 he was promoted to First Lieutenant.

In the Spring of 1849 Gunnison was assigned as second in command of the Howard Stansbury Expedition to explore and survey the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. That winter was particularly heavy.

Gunnison returned to the Great Lakes from 1852-1853, mapping the Green Bay area. He was promoted to Captain on March 3, 1853.

On May 3, 1853 he received orders to take charge of an expedition to survey a route for a Pacific railroad between the 38th and 39th parallels. His journey took him through the Tomichi Valley in Colorado, where the town of Gunnison is named in his honor. After crossing the Tomichi Valley, the survey team encountered the Black Canyon, carved by the Gunnison River which was also named in his honor. The team was forced to turn South to get around the canyon.
In Utah, Gunnison was warned that local bands of Pahvant Utes were looking for vengeance for the slaying of one of their chiefs. At Lake Sevier, Gunnison divided his party into two detachments. On October 26, 1853, Gunnison and the eleven men in his party were attacked by a band of Pahvants. Gunnison and seven of his men were killed.

The information regarding demographics and John Gunnison are compliments of the website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnison_County%2C_Colorado

Blue Mesa