Crested Butte is a must-visit for mountain lovers. Located 30 miles from Aspen, as the crows fly, but not that accessible, it offers a more secluded experience than the I-70 resorts. An advertisement in Ski magazine in the early ’90s caught my attention with the line, “It was what Aspen used to be and Vail never was.” Here’s a concise guide to help you plan your trip to this hidden gem.
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✈️ Getting There
By Air
- Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC): ~30 min from Crested Butte via Highway 135. Served by United Express and American; daily flights in-season. Also, some flights by JSX from Dallas (seasonal). You can check flights into Gunnison here.
- Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ): ~1 hr 15 min drive. Good backup if Gunnison flights are limited.
- Denver International (DEN): ~4½ hr drive via Monarch Pass/US 50 or 5 hr to Crested Butte. Many visitors fly into DEN, as there is much more flights availability. Lots of direct flights from Europe.
By Road
- From Denver: Scenic ~4–4.5 hr drive over Monarch Pass (US 50). You can choose to go via I-70 via Vail and turning in Minturn to take the Leadville pass and south into the US 50 or go south to Colorado Springs and turn west on US 50.
- From Gunnison airport: Easy 30 min cruise on Highway 135.
- From Aspen: drive CO-82 W to CO-133 to Crawford. From there take CO-92E – you will go over the Black Canyon of Gunnison- an amazing view and drive. Keep on going until US-50 and drive E once in Gunnison, turn left onto CO-135 N all the way to Crested Butte. (If you are a fan of Joe Cocker, go to visit his grave at the local cemetery of Crawford, CO).
- Driving seasonally: Summer-only gravel roads (e.g. Kebler Pass, Schofield Pass) add adventure.
You can compare rates for renting a car for driving in Colorado here.
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