Check out the information below to learn about some of the things to do in Crested Butte Colorado! This particular guide is focused in on Mountain Biking and Photography but there is a plethora of things to do here! Mix this with some great restaurants, super friendly people, a great “vibe” in the town, and some of the most spectacularly beautiful landscapes around, this is a do not miss location. This was one of many stops along a road trip I took with my bestfriend during the Summer of 2021. Click here to check out the road trip!

Day 1:

1. Arrival

   • The drive into Crested Butte is absolutely stunning. You will drive straight through Gunnison Colorado which is spectacular in itself. There is a large lake you are able to boat on here and some neat stuff to check out in the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. However, we did not stop there and so I will not be covering Gunnison in this read. There is a good coffee shop called Tributary Coffee Roasters that is delicous. They have some very different type of coffee drinks that are fun to try. Not to mention it is a good place to get some caffeine to be sure your ready to tackle the rest of the day. After passing the coffee shop, you are about 30 minutes form the town of Crested Butte. The views on the way in are breathtaking!

2. Where to stay

   • We decided to stay at a Hostel called Crested Butte Hostel. This was an extremely nice place to stay and was significantly more affordable than any of the hotels in the area. It had a shared bathroom and kitchen for the rooms (which were both kept extremely nice). The rooms were very comfortable as well. The location was within walking distance to the main strip in Crested Butte which makes it ideal for those wanting to drink on the heavier side. I highly recommend this location to stay at for your visit.

3. What to do after settling in

   • This itinerary is only for a 3 day trip here. So obviously you are itching to get out and start exploring the area! By the time we arrived and were settled, it was around lunch time. We chose to go for a drive on Kebler Pass and do some mild hiking to find a place to shoot the sunset. Kebler pass is a beautiful gravel road winding through the mountains and Aspens of Crested Butte. It is a worthwhile drive if you feel up to it. It also provides access to many different trail heads and boasts countless beautiful photo opportunities. However, there are an insane number of trails in the area ripe for the picking. This includes a downhill park that is arguably the most popular riding in the area (unfortunately it was closed while we were there). To check out the trails we rode in the area head here. There are plenty of trails that you are able access just by riding in from town if that sounds more appealing than a hike on your first day in town.

4. Dinner

   • Due to getting back into town a little later after having been shooting the sunset, there weren’t many options available due to it being the off season and restaurants closing sooner than the busy season. We went to a place called SlapBurger. The food was very good and staff very friendly. It is connected to a bar and game room that have some great beer options. A fun late night option for sure.

5. Call it a night and get ready for an early wakeup to shoot the sunrise and a have a big day of biking. I recommend getting your gear together and ready to go for the ride! Tomorrow you ride the famous Trail 401!

Day 2:

1. Wake Up

   • Ideally you have planned out a location to shoot the sunrise before now and have an idea of how long it’ll take you to get to the location. Get up and go expiernce the sunrise in this magnificent place!

   • If you are not shooting sunrise, I recommend still getting an early start to maximize the short amount of time in the area.

2. Breakfast

   • After the shoot, head over to Mc Gill’s. This is a great breakfast location. Staff are great, food is fantastic, and we never had to wait long for anything. A perfect recipe for getting in and out quickly to get out on the trails.

3. Time to Shred

   • Load up the gear and head to Trail 401! This trail is absolutely AMAZING! If you chose to pedal it, the climb isn’t terrible. However there are shuttling options form the local bike shops. If you ride onw trail while in Crested Butte, this is the one. It offers a little of everything. But most importantly, you will simply be amazed by the views and end up with a soar face from smiling. Head here to get a more in depth explanation of the trail and parking.

   • Be sure to stop and take pictures along the ride. This is an expiernce you will want to capture in its entirety!

   • Pack a lunch and plenty of water as well. Sitting at the top before descending offers a great and peaceful place to relax before ripping down the trail.

   • When you get back to the car, take few, grab a beer, and relax and talk about the amazing ride you just experienced.

4. Early Dinner at The Last Steep Bar and Grill

   • We wanted to shoot sunset which means time to drive and hike to where we wanted to go. However, we wanted to try something new knowing that many restaurants would be closed if we waited to eat until after the shoot. We chose to eat at The Last Steep Bar and Grill. Food was amazing, staff were friendly, and sitting outside listening to live music next door made for a repeatable expiernce.

5. Grab some AMAZING coffee from Camp 4 Coffee. This is arguably the best iced coffee I have ever had!

6. Go Shoot Sunset

   • Be sure to leave ample time to drive, hike, and find a composition. This is something me and my buddy Cole Kinser (https://colekinserphotography.com/) are notoriously bad at.

7. Grab a drink at one of the many bars in the area. This is a ski and bike town after all. There are too many great beer options to choose from!

8. Or if you would prefer to do some astrophotography while your out and about, Crested Butte doesn’t have much light pollution. This makes for some great star trail or milky way opportunities.

9. Head home and get ready for the last day in the area.

   • We went ahead and got packed up to have more time to explore before needing to head off to the next location.

Day 3:

1. Wake Up early and shoot sunrise

2. Breakfast at Paradise Café

   • This was a tasty and fun option. However, it did take a while to get our food out to us. The staff were great however and explained that they had a huge order that had swamped the kitchen. We assumed this to be a catering order based on the amount of time we waited for the food.

3. Go check out the shops in Crested Butte. There are tons of places to get a shirt or some sort of souvenir. Walk around the bike shops and get a cool sticker or hat to support their efforts! There is also a neat fine art photography store here. It is called Crested Butte Fine Art Gallery by Raynor Czerwinski. There are a couple artists here, but he does the photography.

4. Go for a short ride or hike. We decided to go hike a trail called Oh Be Joyful starting from the OH Be Joyful campground. It was a beautiful hike following the Slate River and littered with waterfalls! It isn’t a strenuous hike either, so it is good for most age groups and ability levels.

5. Grab a late Lunch or early dinner at Teocalli Tamale

   • This place has large and delicious burritos. It is relatively affordable and absolutely filling.

6. Get some ice cream from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Absolutely delicous! Or if needing some chooch juice (aka coffee), then head over to Camp 4 Coffee again!

7. Time to say Bye

   • Next stop is in Fruita Colorado! You have a few hour drive ahead of you so best to get going before it gets too late.

Happy Migrations Everyone!