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HANDCRAFTED BEER AND WINE

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While base camping in the Gunnison Valley be sure to visit our local breweries to experience some award winning beers, friendly locals and hospitable barkeepers.

• Gunnison Brewery -138 N. Main Street
• Crested Butte Brewery -226 Elk Avenue
• The Eldo Brewery -215 Elk Avenue

Delta County Wineries are "just over the hill" as we like to say! During non-winter months, drive over Kebler Pass and along the way take in hiking and photo opportunities in some of Southwest Colorado's most stunning scenery or follow along the magnificent North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for spectacular views and picnic spots. Once in Delta County you'll want to visit the quaint towns of Paonia, Hotchkiss and Cedaredge. Just look for the many "winery" signs and visit their tasting rooms and farm markets.

Grand Valley Wineries and Brewery, just three hours from Gunnison-Crested Butte, offering a different kind of vista with stunning red rock mesas, Colorado wines are making a big splash in the Grand Valley.  Be sure to catch a late summer harvest tour, when the grapes are picked and processed to create the next standout vintage. While you're there, visit the Rockslide Brewery on Main St.

Salida Winery and Microbrews are just one hour east on Highway 50. You'll travel over Monarch Pass where you'll feel like you are on top of the world. When it's operating, the gondola ride takes you up even higher for more spectacular views. Mt. Spirit Winery is at the foot of Monarch Pass, you can't miss the sign. In historic downtown Salida, visit Amicas Pizza, Microbrews and More on East Second St.

WESTERN HERITAGE                            

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Gunnison County is the perfect base camp for enjoying some of Colorado's best western and mining heritage. Rich natural resources, wide open spaces and railroad access made our destination a hub of activity when the west was being settled. A little known fact...Gunnison was being looked at as the capital city of Colorado! There is so much to see and do but at the very least, don't miss these opportunities!

Gunnison Pioneer Museum - located at 803 E. Tomichi (Highway 50), this 5 acre campus includes many historic outbuildings, the "Cinderella of the Rockies" narrow gauge engine #268 and train and, the Andy Mallett Antique Car Collection.  You'll need several hours to tour this wonderful museum that is the gem of the Gunnison Historical Society. Run by volunteers, you are likely to meet some "original old-timers" who are happy to share their remembrance of Gunnison's exciting past.

• Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum - located on the corner of Third and Elk Avenue, this museum is located in the original "Tony's Conoco" building which was the main place to get just about anything you needed in town back in the day. The museum chronicles the mining history of the town and also houses the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, another rich part of Crested Butte's past that is still going strong today.
• Crested Butte Mountain Theatre - located in the 1880s old town hall building on the corner of Second and Elk Avenue, is Colorado's longest running community theatre. The love and care that is continuously heaped on this town icon is very apparent and, locals also make the theatre come to life with many activities and plays throughout the year.  Also located in the building is the Paragon Gallery, a local cooperative of artists with amazing works of art!
• Heritage Driving Tour to 50 historic sites - Gunnison County is Colorado's 5^th largest county with nearly 2 million acres to explore. Dotted throughout the county are hundreds of historic sites and the Heritage Driving Tour found on GunnisonCrestedButte.com/heritage or in our Vacation Planner

Lake City, like Crested Butte is a Registered National Historic District. A charming town and Main Street, friendly locals and unique shopping and dining will greet you. The area also shares the story of Alferd Packer. Ask a local about that tale! While you're there, continue through town up to Lake San Cristobal, one of Colorado's largest natural lakes. Just west of Gunnison head south on Highway 149. You can't miss the turn off sign.

Downtown Salida is a Historic District with unique shops and restaurants, roughly bounded by the Arkansas River, railroad tracks and 3^rd and D Streets. As you head east on Highway 50 over Monarch Pass and down in to the valley, you'll see the Collegiate Peaks, a wonderful collection of some of Colorado's highest mountains including several "Fourteener's."

Ouray and Silverton lie southwest of Gunnison County and the scenic drive is worth the trip! You'll             travel on the West Elk Scenic and Historic Byway and head south on Highway 550 to Ouray. Ouray,             named after a famous Ute Indian Chief is a Historic District with its own unique character nestled in a    box canyon complete with a hot springs pool. Continue on 550 to Silverton, also a Historic District     whose tagline started in 1860 and remains today..."stake your claim!"

NATIONAL PARKS AND ATTRACTIONS     

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The perfect base camp to see the most surrounding parks and attractions is Gunnison County. You can visit and have exciting experiences that are unique to the "Gunnison Country." Don't miss these icon attractions before heading off to our country's two newest National Parks!

• Curecanti National Recreation Area - There are so many wonderful assets to enjoy. The big, beautiful Blue Mesa is Colorado's largest lake and the icon of Curecanti National Recreation Area, surrounded by impressive mesas, there are multiple opportunities for hiking and horseback riding trails; picnic areas, boating, fishing and night sky viewing. Nearby on Friday nights in the non-winter months, be sure to visit the Gunnison Valley Observatory to view the "classified stable skies" of this area.
• Roaring Judy State Fish Hatchery - located between Almont and Crested Butte, the hatchery began as a private hatchery and mink farm and was bought by the State of Colorado in 1965. It is a prime facility because of pure spring water and wells. Roaring Judy spawns Kokanee salmon, rainbow and Snake River native trout. The Kokanee run naturally from Blue Mesa reservoir upstream to the hatchery following the Gunnison and East Rivers. The spawning salmon are caught at the hatchery, where the eggs are taken from the females and fertilized. Once they start feeding, over two million young Kokanee are released each year.
• Morrow Point Scenic Boat Tour - is a local's favorite when entertaining friends and family! Located at Pine Creek west of the Elk Creek Marina and Visitor Center at Curecanti, you'll need to be in pretty good shape to ascend and walk back up the 254 stair steps to the bottom of the Gunnison River bed where once the narrow gauge trains chugged through the gorge. You'll then walk along the river approximately half a mile amidst the flora and fauna where you'll board the covered pontoon boat to begin your journey through time with the narration of a National Park Ranger. This attraction is open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - When rivers flow across harder igneous rock they produce steeper gorges and one of the steepest, darkest and most rugged of such canyons is formed by the Gunnison River as it flows through hard ancient rocks at the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, on its way to joining the Colorado River. The canyon walls are striated in color, and as the gorge reaches depths of over 2,000 feet while often being only 1,500 feet across, sunlight illuminates the walls only briefly, hence the name 'Black Canyon'. It is awesome to stand at the very edge of one of the canyon overlooks and peer down on the sheerness of the jagged rocks below. This area was designated a National Park in October 1999.
  • South Rim - Main entrance to the park is located 55 miles west of Gunnison on Highway 50
  • North Rim - Take the turn off for the North Rim drive along the West Elk Loop Historic and Scenic Byway on Highway 92 at the Blue Mesa Dam approximately 20 miles west of Gunnison and enjoy scenic overlooks of the canyon and picnic areas.
• Great Sand Dunes National Park - is located 35 miles northeast of Alamosa, Colorado, reached by Colorado 17 and County Lane 6, and approximately 3 hours southeast of  Gunnison. This National Park and Preserve is comprised of 85,000 acres and includes alpine tundra, forests, massive dunes, grasslands, and wetlands. Whether hiking, sliding, exploring in a dunes wheelchair - or simply playing - the Great Sand Dunes are a unique treasure to be explored. While you are there be sure to visit Alamosa where the history of the San Luis Valley's settlement was greatly influenced by the railroad, farming, ranching, and timber.

RECREATION                   

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Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness which makes this place ideal for recreational pursuits of any nature. Off-road enthusiasts will enjoy spectacular high mountain roads and passes, while hikers and bikers will revel in heart-thumping adventures through wildflowers and aspens on a myriad of trails suited for all abilities. Aside from hundreds of land based options, our lakes, rivers and streams are world-renowned for rafting, boating and fishing (we hold some state fishing records too!). One thing is for sure, there are too many options to list and it should suffice to say that when you are in Gunnison-Crested Butte you are surrounded by the best of Colorado. Here are some must see and dos:

• Jeeping & ATV areas: Journey up Kebler Pass and along the West Elk Scenic and Historic Byway to enjoy Colorado's largest aspen grove and more. Paradise Divide offers some of the best alpine scenery in the state. One of the most popular Jeeping and ATV spots is Taylor Park where you can connect to the Colorado Trail and Continental Divide.
• River Trips and Fishing on one of our rivers can be the highlight of any vacation. The Taylor and East rivers confluence in the sleeping town of Almont where most fishing and rafting adventures either begin or end. The Gunnison River flows south from Almont and has excellent fishing and rafting opportunities.
• Boating: Blue Mesa Lake is the state's largest lake with more than 92 miles of shoreline. Many recreational opportunities abound including a relaxing day at the beach, fishing, boating, kayaking, just to name a few. Taylor Lake is another popular boating spot nestled in the high mountains. Both lakes have marinas where tackle and basic supplies as well as rentals can be bought.
• Hiking/Biking Trails: Some of the most scenic and majestic trails in the state are located in Gunnison-crested Butte. Mountain biking got it's start here back in the 70's and much of that pioneering spirit remains today. Classic rides like 401 and Gunnison's Hartman Rock area are a few must dos. If hiking is your passion the Paradise Divide area which connects to Aspen has many trails in Wilderness areas where you will only see horse and foot traffic. Taylor Canyon area and Kebler Pass area are also amazing areas featuring racing waterways, waterfalls and timbered ridges reaching toward the alpine meadows which are home to Colorado's Wildflower Capital.

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  • Salida-The Arkansas River has 108 miles of mild to wild whitewater and is one of America's most popular rafting destinations.
  • Ridgeway- The San Miguel River has some fun white water, but due to a relatively short run-off fishing trips are the main stay here.
  • Grand Junction- The Colorado and Gunnison Rivers offer classic red-rock scenery as they cut through time. Dinosaur tracks, and petrified dinosaur bones, as well as ancient peoples artifacts are just some of the attraction whether your float for a day or overnight.

Hiking/Biking Trails:

• Salida - Hop on the Crest Trail, otherwise known as the Colorado trail for a spectacular trail experience. Shuttles are available to the top of Monarch Pass.
• Grand Valley - Kokopelli's Trail connects Grand Junction to Moab, but the most popular sections are in Fruita where Mary's, Lion's and Troy Built sections traverse red rocks and overlook the Colorado River.
• Salida/Buena Vista/Monarch/Lake City/Silverton - These towns are popular Colorado Trail trailheads. So if you are interested in taking in a section of the Denver to Durango trail start in one of the towns and inquire locally for choice bits to explore!

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