No matter what time of the year you first visit Crested Butte and the surrounding area, you’ll find it’s flat-out beautiful – a nice place to work, play, or stay, by any measure. If you are in town for the opening day of ski season, for the Santa Ski & Pub Crawl just after Thanksgiving, or at any other time during the winter season you’ll likely be spending most of your time at the ski resort or in town. During the summer, you can take somewhat longer excursions as the Rocky Mountains are at your disposal.
No Shortage of Lodging
Although Crested Butte and Gunnison are not large towns, they are large enough to feature a good number of bars and dining establishments. You’ll have a good choice of lodging as well, including resort condominiums, vacation rentals, hotels, and bed & breakfasts, as Crested Butte is a tourist destination, but one that is rarely over-crowded. If your visit is during the summer, a stay at a nearby guest ranch might be to your liking.
Most of the places you might want to visit in Crested Butte are within easy walking distance and the best way to get to and from the ski area is a short shuttle-bus ride away, and the ride is free. You’ll find many of the accommodations are only a short distance from the ski lifts and are places to stay where you can ski in and ski out.
Plan Your Trip around a Festival and Check for Specials
If you plan to take part in one of the many festivals that are held in Crested Butte every year, the Santa Ski & Pub Crawl is but one of them and may be the most fun of all, it would make sense to make any necessary reservations in advance. One thing that many if not most first timers are not aware of is the travel packages that are available at various times during the year. It is often possible to get travel and/or lodging discounts if a festival or some other event is taking place during your visit. Something else worth looking into is to see if any of the hotels offer ski lift ticket discounts as part of a package. Some offer discounted tickets and one or two offer a free day of skiing if you stay with them. Rates can vary during the season as well, both for air travel and for lodging, making it advisable to do a little comparison shopping when planning your visit.
One thing you needn’t be concerned about is the reception you’ll receive. Crested Butte is not only a charming place to visit, but you’ll find it a friendly place to visit as well.