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Story by Beth Buehler
Photo © Joe Rehana
Gunnison-Crested
Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness
in southwest Colorado. Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its
world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding, snowmobiling, cross-country
skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a
haven
for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can
choose
from recreational activities such as hiking, mountain biking, boating,
whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback
riding.
Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and
stimulating
cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options—from
rustic
inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort
hotels.
Dubbed the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Crested Butte Academy, a private college preparatory boarding and day school. Gunnison, a real western town, is home to the beautiful, high-country campus of Western State College, a four-year institution offering a variety of curricula, and the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.
In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, our country's newest National Park. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte’s, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association’s official reservations center at 800-814-8893 or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.
Photo
Mountain States Cup Bike Race Series. ©
Joe Rehana