Where is Crested Butte CO?

Crested Butte ski resort is located in the Colorado Rockies in the southwest region of Colorado and the western part of the Elk Mountain Range. The historic town of Crested Butte CO is a few miles from the ski resort (Mt Crested Butte), 28 miles north of Gunnison, and 229 miles southwest of Denver.

Flights

The closest airport is the Crested Butte/Gunnison airport (GUC) which is a 30 minute drive away, just 28 miles from Crested Butte and 31 miles from Mount Crested Butte. The airport receives direct flights from Salt Lake City, and during winter there are direct flights from Dallas with American Airlines and from Houston with United. You can search for flights using one of our flight search aggregators.

Gunnison to Crested Butte CO

Alpine Express provides shuttle transport from the Gunnison airport to either Crested Butte or Mt Crested Butte. Advance reservations (48 hours) are required. Most visitors won’t need a vehicle once in Crested Butte CO because there are good shuttle bus systems that connect the town and mountain (see below).

Of course if you like to explore, you can also rent a car to get from Gunnison to Crested Butte, and there are good car rental options at Gunnison Airport.

Flying into Denver

Denver International Airport can also be used as a gateway airport. Denver airport is serviced by all major carriers and has very regular schedules. To get from Denver to Crested Butte, there are flights between Denver and Gunnison, but it may not be worth the time or cost to take the extra flight. The drive from the airport at Denver to Crested Butte takes about 5 hours depending on road and weather conditions. If you don’t want to rent a car, Alpine Express provides charter ground transportation from Denver airport.

Driving to Crested Butte

During winter Kebler Pass Road and Cottonwood Pass Road are closed, so the only highway access is via Gunnison. If driving from Denver to Crested Butte, the route will be US 285 from Denver to Poncha Springs, US 50 over Monarch Pass and through Gunnison, then north along SR 135 from Gunnison to Crested Butte.

Getting Around Crested Butte

The Mountain Express Town Shuttle provides transport between Crested Butte and Mt Crested Butte. The free bus runs every 15 minutes during the ski season between 7:10am and midnight. In town the four stops are: Old Town Hall (2nd and Elk); 6th and Belleview; 4-Way stop; and Teocalli. At Mt Crested Butte the bus stop is located at Mountaineer Square (Transit Center).

Three additional shuttle routes run between Mt Crested Butte and the surrounding condos.

Other Ski Resorts Nearby

Monarch Mountain is 74 miles southeast of Crested Butte and about a 1.5 hour drive away.

Telluride ski resort is 160 miles southwest of CB, which equates approximately to a 3 hour drive, whilst Silverton Mountain is just a little further along.

Powderhorn is to the northwest of Crested Butte and also a 3 hour trip away by road.