10 Great Reasons to Visit Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

These authentic mountain towns know how to kick back in the summer

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (April 28, 2008) - Summer in the laid-back mountain towns situated along the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley in Colorado is unlike any other. Being off the beaten path has its benefits when avoiding summer vacation crowds and keeping the area a natural paradise. If that’s not enough, we’ll offer 10 great reasons to visit.

1. Take an open-air pontoon boat ride through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. A 232-step hike brings you down to the Gunnison River, where the sheer canyon walls tower for half a mile above you. Journey by boat past waterfalls, stunning spires and the dramatic cliffs of one of our nation’s newest National Parks. Named “Best Boat Ride in Colorado” by the authors of Colorado’s Best.

2. Picnic at 11,000 feet. The Silver Queen chairlift at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) in Mt, Crested Butte whisks you to 11,400 feet, just below the Butte’s distinctive Matterhorn-like peak. Sightseers can climb to the 12,162-foot summit (an additional half-mile hike) or stop for lunch and take in the panoramic views. Purchase tickets at CBMR’s ticket window in Mountaineer Square.

3. Step back in time. Explore the many ghost towns and areas surrounding Crested Butte and Gunnison—remnants of the late 1800s silver and gold mining rush—on a four-wheel drive Jeep tour or your personal vehicle in many cases. Visit Gunnison’s Pioneer Museum and explore the circa-1905 school house, post office and dairy barn and see the collection of approximately 60 “mint condition” antique cars. Climb aboard the circa 1881 Denver & Rio Grande Engine #268 that was the “sweetheart” of trains in her time, complete with boxcar, livestock car and caboose. Or visit the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum for a guided historic walking tour of the town’s Registered National Historic District and don’t miss the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

4. Get soaked. Raft, kayak or canoe the rollicking rapids and relaxing waves on the Taylor and Gunnison Rivers. Or set sail for the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water, for a full day of watersports: windsurfing, water-skiing, sailing, powerboating, sailboarding and fishing (Blue Mesa is the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the U.S. and home to state record-breaking trout).

5. Grab your spurs. Take a journey on horseback through the real American West. A variety of outfitters in Gunnison County offer everything from guided one-hour rides and multi-day horseback trips to breakfast and dinner rides.6. Fly-fish in Gold Medal rivers. Let one of the many expert anglers in the valley take you on a guided fly-fishing excursion to the Gunnison, East and Taylor Rivers, some of the finest trout streams in Colorado. Record-breaking rainbow, as well as brown, brook and cutthroat all thrive in these crystal-clear waters. Numerous outfitters offer special clinics and instruction, rentals and custom trips. In the town of Gunnison, kids can practice at PacMan Lake in Jorgenson Park. The lake is stocked the first of June every year, and kids fish free.

7. Gunnison County is a mountain biking mecca and home of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame (located at Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum). Ride the legendary Lower Loop (scenic, easier), Rage in the Sage (high desert, intermediate), or the famous, lung-busting #401.

8. Find out how much farther your golf ball flies at 9,003 feet! The Club at Crested Butte’s 18-hole Robert Trent Jones II-designed golf course has been rated “Best Mountain Golf Course in Colorado” by Mountain Golf magazine. Or try Gunnison’s 18-hole course, Dos Rios, which is situated on the Gunnison River in an oasis of trees with stunning cliff views.

9. Guided hikes stimulate mind and body. Explore the spectacular beauty of the mesas, lakes and canyons of Curecanti National Recreation Area, encompassing both the Black Canyon and Blue Mesa Reservoir. Curecanti’s trail system offers everything from short backpacking trips to long day hikes. Ranger-led walks and nature talks are available at the Elk Creek Visitor Center. Kids can earn Junior Ranger status by completing an activities booklet and interviewing a park ranger. Outfitters can help you explore the hundreds of miles of other hiking trails in Gunnison County, including three routes that link Crested Butte to Aspen.

10. Go where the scientists go. See how Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory has transformed the historic mining town of Gothic into a scientific field station. Visit the restored General Store with a museum on the second floor and take part in a birding census, attend RMBL’s historic preservation dinner and tour, schedule a private tour or spend a day with a scientist/researcher. Kids Nature Camps are offered throughout the summer.

Quality family time doesn’t have to cost money. Go camping, roast marshmallows over an open fire, watch the Independence Day parade in Crested Butte, ride in the skateboard park in Crested Butte or BMX park in Gunnison, watch the sunset and attend the many free concerts throughout the summer. Read up on local history and visit famous landmarks,

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte events and attractions or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association’s official reservations center at (800) 814-8893 or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com. During the summer and fall, air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado. Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options — from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels.

Recognized as the “Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado” by the Colorado Legislature, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Crested Butte Academy, a private college preparatory boarding and day school with special emphasis on world-class alpine, snowboarding and high altitude distance running programs. Gunnison, a real western town, is home to the beautiful, high-country campus of Western State College, a four-year institution offering 22 majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields, and the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country’s newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.

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