How to Plan a Ski Trip to Crested Butte Mountain Resort

“It’s that Crested Butte magic,” my ski guide Angie Mauldin tells me, pointing her pole across the valley toward a series of backcountry ski runs known as the Happy Chutes. From where we stand on Crested Butte Mountain Resort, the white snow between dark evergreens really does spell out “happy,” almost like a billboard painted by nature.

Mauldin says that phrase a few times: Crested Butte magic. It’s a feeling that’s hard to define, but easy to recognize. It’s why Mauldin, a former Division I track and field athlete from Wisconsin, chose to build a life at what locals proudly call “the end of the road” in 1996.

It’s a feeling I picked up on the moment I pulled into town from my home ski area in Telluride, three hours to the south. In Crested Butte, funky ski-bum houses stand tall and proud, and hand-painted school buses act as the town’s free transportation. Yes, there are fancy boutiques and high-end restaurants, but many are located inside renovated, brightly-painted miners’ cabins.

“It’s the last great Colorado ski town,” Jason Henry, general manager at local restaurant Two Twelve, shared over dinner. Google the phrase, and you’ll see it everywhere. But as someone who grew up outside a ski town and has traveled to many more, I think it might be true.

Maybe Crested Butte residents are simply better at protecting their history or eccentricities. Maybe they started with more grit to begin with. Mauldin points to the 50-year fight to protect the Red Lady, a local peak and once-illegal backcountry ski spot, from mining as an example of the community’s persistence and spirit.

“We won that battle to protect our watershed. Protecting our watershed, protecting our environment, superseded the big money, and that is huge,” said Mauldin. 

In the end, maybe that’s the magic. Crested Butte seems to know exactly what it is—and what it is not. And even as visitors like me stream in and out, it holds that line, inviting us in without giving itself away.

Words like “wild” and “steep” are often used to describe Crested Butte Mountain Resort, which tends to draw skiers and riders who love a challenge. Nearly two-thirds of the ski area’s overall acreage is rated advanced or expert, and it’s home to “Rambo,” the steepest lift-serviced tree-cut trail in North America. 

The numbers can sound intimidating to beginner or intermediate skiers (or those with kids, like me), but there are also three magic carpets for beginners along with plenty of mellow greens and blues for progression. 

All told, the ski area has 15 lifts, including a couple of nostalgic T-bars, and 165 trails. The ski area is located on Crested Butte Mountain (a 12,162-foot peak) and has 1,547 skiable acres and a vertical rise of 3,062 feet. Here’s what else you need to know about Crested Butte to plot out the perfect stay.

Where to Stay 

The Lodge at Mountaineer Square

On a powder day, staying at the base of the ski area in the town of Mt. Crested Butte is a must. During my February trip, I stayed at The Lodge at Mountaineer Square, which is just steps from the chairlift. There are standard hotel rooms, studios, and multi-bedroom condos along with a sauna, hot tubs, and a heated indoor-outdoor pool. Request a view of the ski area if you want to catch sight of the after-dark groomers and early-morning uphill skiers. (If you have an Epic Pass, you get 20 percent off Mountaineer Square lodging with Epic Mountain Rewards.)

Eleven Scarp Ridge Lodge

Crested Butte is home to one of the world’s few Eleven locations, a brand considered a leader in luxury adventure travel. Scarp Ridge Lodge is located in downtown historic Crested Butte in a former saloon that’s been transformed into a high-end property complete with a saltwater pool and rooftop hot tub. In addition to skiing the resort, excursions into Crested Butte’s renowned backcountry are on the docket for most Eleven guests.

Vaquera House

Guests looking for a quiet, more intimate stay will want to check out the Vaquera House, a 10-room boutique hotel with a bed-and-breakfast feel. Perks like a daily homemade breakfast, evening drinks and apps, and a movie and game room make it feel like home, while amenities like a hot tub with views of Crested Butte Mountain make it stand out.

Where to Eat

Two Twelve

It’s not often that you have a dish that consumes you, one that has you Googling ingredients and planning your recreation of it at home. I had one of those moments at Two Twelve, a Crested Butte eatery that specializes in live-fire cooking and local food sourcing. The dish, cauliflower “fried rice,” is simple, vegan, and almost alarmingly healthy, but it was also one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

Uley’s Cabin

The pinnacle of on-mountain dining is found at Uley’s Cabin, a ski-in, ski-out eatery in a rustic cabin with a generous, sun-drenched outdoor patio. Uley’s is a great choice for a hearty, on-mountain lunch with a higher-end indoor menu and a more casual outdoor menu (both feature great drinks, including an over-the-top s’mores hot cocoa).

Butte Bagels

It’s hard to find a good bagel at altitude, so my first stop in Crested Butte was Butte Bagels. The tiny, bright-red shop off the alley makes its bagels from scratch daily, then tops them with all the good stuff. The quality can be felt, and the vibe is just what you want from a casual ski-town eatery. At night, the bagel shop becomes a smash burger joint.

Secret Stash

Anytime someone talks about food in Crested Butte, you can bet the Secret Stash is mentioned. The pizza shop has become a local institution thanks to its award-winning pizza (like the Notorious F.I.G.) and eclectic, hand-selected decor, which includes treasures the owner has collected from all over the world.

Where to Après-ski 

The Eldo Brewery

The best brew-to-bar beers are found at The Eldo, the only locally owned and operated brewery in Crested Butte. The house beers are brewed in-house and served in a relaxed atmosphere with occasional live music.

Montanya Distillers

For something stronger, head to Montanya Distillers, an award-winning local distiller known for its rum. The high-altitude distillery is a Certified B Corp and is female-founded and run. Plus, they serve up a mean cocktail. 

Paradise Warming House 

For an on-mountain drink, swing by the Paradise Warming House, which is set at the bottom of the sunny Paradise Express Lift (a great chairlift for groomers and intermediate terrain). It’s an easy choice for an end-of-the-day drink or an après snack. Plus, if you have an Epic Pass, you get 20 percent off food and non-alcoholic beverages with Epic Mountain Rewards.

Off-mountain Activities 

Nordic Skiing

Downhill skiing may get all the attention, but Crested Butte is arguably just as much of a Nordic town (it’s even nicknamed the “Nordic Ski Capital of Colorado”). There are several cross-country ski trails that start from town and run up and down the valley that are groomed and managed by the Crested Butte Nordic Center.

Music, Theater, Art

If you have a hard time keeping up with Crested Butte’s active community, tuck into the local arts scene. The town is an officially recognized Colorado Creative District and has a dedicated Center for the Arts with culinary, literary, fine art, and performance programming, plus a handful of well-regarded local galleries.

Snowmobiling

Crested Butte may be located at the “end of the road,” but it is also the starting point for several backcountry roads that lead over mountain passes. When these passes are closed for the winter, snowmobiles are one of the only ways to access them. Crested Butte has several local snowmobile rental companies that offer both guided and unguided rentals. 

How to Ride 

Tickets

Crested Butte is on the Epic Pass. If you don’t have a pass, you can buy single or multi-day lift tickets online. (Get the biggest savings by reserving your lift tickets four weeks in advance.) If you have a friend with an Epic Pass, you can use one of their six Epic Friend Tickets, which are 50 percent off.

Rentals 

Crested Butte has several ski and snowboard rental shops located right at the base of the ski area. (And for even more ease, you can have your gear delivered to your hotel or vacation rental.)

If you have an Epic Pass, you can sign up for My Epic Gear ($50), which is basically a gear rental program that provides the year’s best skis, boards, and boots for less at 12 of Epic’s North American resorts, including Crested Butte. 

Programming

Crested Butte has a fantastic ski and ride school, with plenty of seasoned instructors like Mauldin who can help you navigate the mountain. Because Crested Butte is an extreme-leaning mountain, instructors are pros at providing guidance on how to approach some of the ski area’s more advanced terrain. For a brush with greatness, consider booking a ski day with Olympian Wendy Fisher, an icon in the sport of big mountain free skiing and a Crested Butte local. There are also half- and full-day lessons for kids as young as 3 years old. 

When to Go

The best time to ski Crested Butte is typically mid-winter, from late-January to mid-March. By this time, the snowpack is usually set and reliable, with more snow coming in. 

Mid-winter is also when two of the biggest ski-related events take place: The Alley Loop Nordic Marathon in February and the Al Johnson Memorial Telemark Race in March. The Alley Loop event is a costume-fueled cross-country ski race that has participants racing through the alleys of downtown Crested Butte, while the on-mountain Al Johnson race includes a grueling ski up the ski area, followed by a steep descent in wild costumes.

For affordable lift tickets and better lodging rates, plan your ski trip to Crested Butte in early to mid-December before the holidays.

Getting Here

The closest airport to Crested Butte Mountain Resort is Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC), which is just over 30 minutes by car from the ski area. Since the town is walkable and there’s a free, regularly running public bus, a car isn’t necessary for a ski trip to Crested Butte. Most winter travelers who fly into GUC take a local shuttle service to their hotel. Vendors include Alpine Express, Dolly’s Mountain Shuttle, Rocky Rides, and Black Canyon Limo. 

For cheaper flights, you can fly into Denver International Airport (DEN), rent a car, and make the 4.5-hour drive to Crested Butte.