Experience the West in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

Colorado's oldest rodeo, guest ranches, trail rides & more

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (March 3, 2011) - With a longtime ranching heritage, laid-back attitude and Colorado's oldest rodeo, Gunnison County is the West.  The only kind of traffic jams you encounter here are cattle drives.  In fact, American Cowboy named Gunnison-Crested Butte one of the "20 Best Places to Live the West" in 2009. 

To buy a hat or boots to get into the spirit of the place, head straight for The Western World in Gunnison before visiting the Pioneer Museum, known for its popular ranching heritage exhibit, 18 out-buildings and train display. There are also dude ranches, trail rides, and amazing Western events to dig your heels into.

111th Annual Gunnison Cattlemen's Days, July 8 - 17
This granddaddy of Colorado rodeos features a county fair, parade, horse show, carnival, cowboy poetry, live music and dancing, horse races, cowboy church, and rodeo events sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).  Activities are spread throughout the 10 days of the Cattlemen's Days festivities, with a kickoff dinner and dance getting things started on July 8.

PRCA rodeos are scheduled for the evenings of July 14, 15 and 16 with different themes for each evening (Tough Enough to Wear Pink, Patriot Night and Family Night).  Amateurs have the chance to compete at the Watershed Team Roping and Barrel Race for adults and youth on July 13.  In addition, the Cattlemen's Days Open Horse Show on July 9 draws participants from the Gunnison Valley and beyond.

However, the true highlight of this 111-year-old festival is the fact that it recognizes the Western way of life in the Gunnison Valley.  It also has become the top rodeo in the nation for raising more than $560,000 to fight breast cancer locally through a national promotion "Tough Enough to Wear Pink." 

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.cattlemensdays.com.  Tickets go on sale in early July at the Cattlemen's Days ticket booth located at Gunnison Bank and Trust parking lot.  Tickets also can be purchased at the door.

Trail Rides & Adventures
Gunnison-based Tenderfoot Outfitters offers authentic trail rides of varying lengths, horse packing trips, high alpine fishing excursions, tent bed and breakfast trips, youth adventure camps and horseback hunts.  To find out more about all the options, visit www.tenderfoot-outfitters.com or call (800) 641-0504.

Also check out Fantasy Ranch Horseback Adventures, offering horseback outings and wilderness trail rides from its Mt. Crested Butte stable.  Fantasy Ranch is well known for its trail ride from the Crested Butte area to Aspen.  During winter, Fantasy Ranch offers horseback rides from its Almont stable.  Contact (970) 349-5425 or visit www.fantasyranchoutfitters.com.

Western State College of Colorado's Extended Studies program is offering an intergenerational five-day West Elk Horsepacking & Camping Trip, kicking off on July 16 with an orientation to Western life and the horses as well as attending a Cattlemen's Days rodeo. On July 17, ride to base camp and start feeling like a cowboy or cowgirl.  Over the next three days, enjoy trail rides, fishing, cowboy games, reading animal tracks, creating horseshoe art and telling campfire stories. Rogene McKiernan, a retired WSC professor, and Tenderfoot Outfitters will lead the trip.  The course is designed for children ages 9 - 13 and an accompanying adult and costs $599 per person.  Call (800) 876-5309, ext. 7 or visit www.western.edu/extendedstudies.com.

Dude Ranches
For unforgettable guest ranch experiences, visit Waunita Hot Springs Ranch near Gunnison and Harmel's Ranch Resort near Almont.  To reach Waunita Hot Springs Ranch, call (770) 641-1266 or visit www.waunita.com.  For Harmel's, call (800) 235-3402 or visit www.harmels.com.  

Vacation Deals
Enjoy all of the benefits of Harmel's Ranch Resort and stay in one of the Hitchn' Post Lodge's eight motel-style rooms, each with one queen bed and one double bed complete, for only $140 per night for up to four people per room.  The Hitchn' Post Package is available June 15 - Aug. 15, 2011, and includes a hearty breakfast buffet, private fishing permit, stocked rainbow trout pond, and numerous other amenities.  Horseback riding, guided fly-fishing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, ziplining and massages can be added for an extra cost.  Offer is based on availability and does not include tax/service fee.  Also ask about opening season (May 25 - June 14) and closing season (Aug. 16 - Sept. 17) specials.  Book by calling (800) 235-3402, and also visit www.harmels.com. 

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte's calendar of events or to book personalized vacation packages, visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com or call (800) 814-8893.  During 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. 

Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

Marble is located in the Upper Crystal River Valley along the Elk Mountains and is the gateway to nearby Crystal, home to one of the most photographed mill sites in the country. Marble has seven sites on the National Register of Historic Places and is the location of the Yule Marble Quarry.

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.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

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Photo: Gunnison Cattlemen's Days parade.

For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.

Contact:                        Beth Buehler                                        

                                    Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association                 

                                    (970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net