Crested Butte Mountain Resort

Birthplace of extreme skiing in North America with a charming Victorian town and some of the most challenging in-bounds terrain in the US.

Key Stats

Vertical Drop
884m (2,900ft)
The height difference between the top and bottom of the mountain
Summit Elevation
3,700m (12,139ft)
How high the highest lift or peak reaches
Base Elevation
2,814m (9,232ft)
Height of the main base village — higher means cooler, drier snow
Annual Snowfall
762cm (300in)
Average annual natural snowfall — higher is better for powder days
Trails
121
Total number of marked runs on the trail map
Lifts
15
Total number of lifts including chairlifts, gondolas, and t-bars
Resort Size
1,646 acres
Total groomed and patrolled terrain

Terrain Breakdown

The percentage of marked trails in each difficulty level. A higher beginner percentage means more terrain suitable for novices and families; a higher advanced percentage means more challenge for experts.

Beginner
23%
Intermediate
57%
Advanced
20%

Best For

Expert TerrainBackcountryOff-piste

When to go

Average monthly snowfall and snowpack depth, with the typical operating window shaded.

Crested Butte Mountain Resort's heaviest snowfall lands in January; the snowpack peaks in February.

snowiestdeepestJulAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
Snowfall
peaks Jan
Snowpack
peaks Feb
Typical season
Oct – May

Snowfall: NOAA, 30-year normals (1991–2020).

Snow depth: NOAA, daily station data (1994–2023).

Location

Crested Butte sits in the Elk Mountains of central Colorado, deep in the southern Rockies. This is high, continental, dry-climate terrain, set above a remote mountain valley well away from the state's busier resort corridors.

Getting there

Easy to reach

Fly into Gunnison (GUC), about 50 minutes from the resort by road.

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Explore Further

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