Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Crested Butte, CO
Year Listed: 2008
Aerial from the rooftop of a building of the town of Crested Butte, Colorado.
Credit: Nathan Bilow
Nestled in a stunning valley of wildflowers and mountain peaks lies the small town of Crested Butte. A year-round destination, Crested Butte is a recreational paradise offering a dizzying array of activities for any traveler-from the avid sports enthusiast to the history buff.
This former coal mining town has faithfully held onto its 19th century heritage, retaining the heart and spirit of the landscape while creating a charming main street. Often referred to as "the last great Colorado ski town," Crested Butte exudes a friendly warmth, peaceful ambience and rugged beauty that serves as a perennial escape from urban life.
Mt. Emmons, also known as Red lady, is a local favorite for backcountry skiing and provides a wonderful backdrop for Elk Avenue. Colorful false front buildings from the late 1800’s line both sides of Crested Butte’s historic downtown.
Credit: Nathan Bilow
A National Historic District since 1974, Crested Butte illustrates the vibrant design of a Victorian-era village, with its wooden false front buildings, street-corner flower boxes and antique lamplight. The main street, Elk Avenue, is lined with original 19th century buildings that have been reinvented as inviting coffee shops, quaint restaurants and specialty shops. The Town enacted a preservation ordinance 35 years ago setting forth the conservation of its historic fabric. Today, with a "no demolition" law in place, more than 465 residential and commercial buildings make Crested Butte the eighth largest historic district in Colorado.
Snow-covered Main Street in Crested Butte, Colorado.
Credit: Nathan Bilow
Attractions include the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum, built in 1883. One of the oldest standing structures in town, the building first housed the Crested Butte Hardware store, later a blacksmith shop and gas station, and is now a repository for relics from the town’s past mining era and more recent skiing history. Portraits of early residents-many of Croatian and Slovenian descent-line the walls. The rear of the building, initially a working garage, showcases a functioning model railroad, life-sized mining diorama and one of Crested Butte’s original mining gondolas.
Crested Butte Mountain, is a 12,162 foot peak that boasts 1,125 acres and 121 trails where anyone can find the right winter challenge, from an innovative beginners’ program to the most extreme terrain for the boldest skiers and snowboarders.
