Gunnison & Crested Butte Land Major National Recognition in 2007-2008

These southwest Colorado towns are being noted as dream places to live in and visit

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (September 15, 2008)-The secret is out about Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado.  These authentic, 1880s towns with rich roots in mining, ranching and skiing have been indentified as great places to live and visit on five major lists in 2008 and 2007.  Both are outdoor recreation meccas, feature a wealth of cultural activities, and are lived in and loved by friendly locals.

Crested Butte has experienced a banner year of accolades in 2008, first being among the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in February.  Next it was Outside magazine's "10 Best Towns in America" list and Sunset magazine's "10 Dream Towns" in August. 

With the results recently in for 2009, Crested Butte Mountain Resort again was #1 in the Best Steeps category in Skiing magazine's reader choice awards and was ranked #8 for Best Trees and #10 for Best Powder. Slogar Restaurant in Crested Butte tied for Best Feedlot in the editors' picks, and the area also received honorable mention nods for Best All-Inclusive Package, Best Slopeside Tuning Shop (Colorado Freeskier) and Best Resort Transportation (free Mountain Express bus service).

Readers of SKI Magazine ranked Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte as the #20 Top Ski Resort, and SkiNet rankings awarded the area #3 Top Ski Town status.

Gunnison, located 28 miles to the south and home to Western State College, was in the 2007 spotlight as the only Colorado town highlighted as one of the "50 Best Adventure Towns" in National Geographic Adventure and one of five Colorado towns mentioned as unspoiled places to visit, live and play in the book 101 Best Outdoor Towns by Sarah Tuff and Greg Melville.

"Unspoiled, authentic and off-the-radar-screen beautiful are some of the best ways to describe the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley," says Jane Chaney, executive director of the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association.  "We are known as a great place to unplug, recharge and be yourself."

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages

To find out more about Gunnison County or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free line, (800) 814-8893, or visit http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/.  The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines with flights from Denver and during the winter season by American Airlines with direct flights from Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago and Delta Air Lines with direct flights from Salt Lake City and Atlanta.

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 and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 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. 

Gunnison, a real western town located 28 miles from Crested Butte, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, a four-year institution offering majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields.  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.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

[###]

Photo courtesy of Crested Butte Mountain Resort & Tom Stillo, Photographer 

Contact:                        Beth Buehler                                        

                                    Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association                 

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