Worldwide Ski Resorts • USA • Crested Butte
Overview
Set amid soaring mountain peaks, at the base of the mountain of the same name, is the popular modern ski resort of Crested Butte, Colorado. The resort is 5km from the township of Crested Butte, a friendly mountain town surrounded by three wilderness areas and nestled in the peaks of the Rockies. Crested Butte caters for all skiing levels, in particular the experts: here you will find the most double black diamond runs within any resort in Colorado as well as some of the steepest lift served ski terrain in America. The resort offers an abundance of lodging and dining opportunities to suit all tastes and budgets and some excellent ski schools and hire shops.
Profile
More isolated than other Colorado ski resorts, Crested Butte’s scenic location is what makes it so popular, positioned as it is along the towering Elk Mountain Range peaks. The resort is considered to have the best adventure skiing in the Rockies due to the number of extreme double black diamond runs. Families love Crested Butte for its sheer diversity of skiing, accommodation (some of which can be skied in and out of), and activities; the ski schools are particularly good and cater for all ages.
Mountain Information
With over 1000 acres of slopes varying in difficulty from gentle beginner runs to near vertical drops for the experts, Crested Butte provides skiing for all abilities. The 88 well groomed pistes are serviced by 15 efficient lift systems, ensuring queuing is kept to a minimum. Of these pistes, 13 are aimed at beginners, 39 at intermediate, 10 at advanced and 26 are for experts only in the ‘Extreme Limits’ zone. Snowmaking facilities exist over 120 hectares of slopes, but are only used occasionally as the resort has an average of 25ft of snowfall per season, which runs from November to April.
Apres Ski
Crested Butte offers many après ski activities for all ages. There are horse drawn sleigh rides offering scenic tours and dog sledding, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, cross country skiing and ice fishing are also possible. Dining out is easy and varied, the laid back approach of the resort means that Asian, German, French and Mexican cuisines are all readily available as well as American fare. There are an abundance of shops and galleries and plenty of pubs and clubs for après ski drinks. In downtown Crested Butte, there are conference facilities and a well equipped athletic club offering a full service spa, hot tubs and a lap pool. The town is also the site of some rich skiing, ranching and mining heritage and there are some interesting museums and exhibitions in which to spend a few hours.
USA Resort Guide
Resort Information • Crested Butte
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Resort Height | 2857m |
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Top Station | 3707m |
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Bottom Station | 2857m |
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Vertical Descent | 850m |
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Drag Lifts | 4 |
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Chair Lifts | 9 |
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High Capacity | 0 |
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Opening Dates | Nov - April |
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Rating Expert | 7 |
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Rating Intermediate | 6 |
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Rating Beginner | 7 |
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Apres Ski Rating | 7 |
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Snow Reliability | 8 |
