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Crested Butte Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • Eclectic mining town
  • Amazing expert terrain

Great for

  • Experts
  • Families
  • Off Piste

Ski Holidays in Crested Butte

Though often finding itself the Butte of the joke... as home to the steepest lift-served off-piste in the US, CB is no laughing matter. A pioneer of extreme skiing competitions, annual host of the Extreme Ski & Snowboarding Championships and home to the US’s largest powdercat fleet, this terrain means business. Luckily, lovely locals in its last-of-its-kind Victorian town don’t take themselves too seriously - their nickname for the resort is “Crusty Butt”...

  • Flight Time
  • 9 hours
  • From London
  • Nearest Airports
  • Denver, Jackson Hole etc.
  • Time zone
  • GMT -5 to -8 hours
  • Language
  • English
  • Currency
  • US Dollar
  • Ski Season
  • Dec - April

Crested Butte Stats

Top Altitude
12,162ft / 3707m
Bottom Altitude
9375ft / 2856m
Resort Altitude
9375ft / 2856m
Total Piste
1547 acres
Longest Run
2.6 miles
Slope Orientation
N W
Vertical Drop
3061ft
Skiable Vertical
Night Skiing
No
Glacier Skiing
No

As one of CB’s famously friendly locals puts it, “it’s off the beaten path and we love that”. 4.5 hours from Denver airport, it isn’t as easy to get to as resorts on Colorado’s I-70 Corridor - but that’s one of the reasons it’s so darn fantastic

For someone who’s willing to fly further, travel deeper and ski harder; this resort in the Colorado region of the Elk Mountains is the El Dorado of the ski world. With the East River to the north east, Gothic Mountain and Paradise Divide to the north, and no signs of civilisation in either direction, it feels like another world altogether. There’s nowhere better to take it all in than the exposed faces of the 12,162 ft Mt. Crested Butte summit.

You have to look beyond the resort’s modest 1547 acres to see its true potential. Its greatest strengths are off-piste and not included on trail maps. They’re also down in the town: preserved for posterity, sitting 3 miles or 5 minutes (by free shuttle) from the base station, downtown Crested Butte is considered the last real Colorado ski town. You’ll spend nights here waiting for John Wayne to sidle through the saloon doors, and hobnobbing with charming locals in going on 50 bars and restaurants.

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Crested Butte Transfer Times

Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport 30 miles, 40 mins
Denver International Airport 253 miles, 4.5 hours

The nearest airport to Crested Butte is Denver at 371.759 km or about 4 hours 30 minutes by car

What's the ski area like in Crested Butte?

While at 1547 acres the ski area sounds modest, this doesn’t factor in the terrain over the hill, some of the gnarliest at a North American ski resort and officially the continent’s steepest lift-accessed turf. Thanks to the lack of crowds, fresh stashes are also easy to come by. And those are just a few of the reasons Crested Butte hosts various extreme freeskiing championships.

But for all the hype about its nail-biting steeps, beginners needn’t go running for other hills. In fact, much of the mountain is a big softy. The Red Lady high-speed chair from the base serves nothing but green and double green cruisers and the entirety of Ten Peaks is devoted to blue terrain.

With 57% of groomed terrain suitable for intermediates (and more in the pipeline), there’s more than enough to keep confident skiers and boarders busy. Tuck into some quick laps off of the Prospect and Gold Link Lift; then move on up to tons of steeper trail options off of Paradise and East River Express lifts. Take things to the next level on International, a groomed black where you can really let rip.

As you’ve heard, expert terrain is where CB shines, with dozens of double black trails denoted as EX (“Extreme Terrain”) that will knock your thermal socks off. EX counts as “cliffs with a minimum 20ft rise over 15ft run and slopes with a minimum 50° average pitch over 100ft run”... These areas, such as off the North Face Lift and in gate-accessed Teocalli Bowl over the top of the resort, are as tough as you’ll find on US soil. With phenomenal scope for backcountry, get a Crested Butte Mountain Guide to show you all there is to know about the area. For powderhounds, cat skiing at nearby Irwin (which is usually buried in snow) makes for a fantastic day trip.

Which other ski resorts are near to Crested Butte?

The nearest ski resorts to Crested Butte include Aspen.

Ski Area Facts

LocationColorado, USA
Established1961
Downhill1547 acres
Lift Pass$71 (single day adult pass)

Beginner Slopes

23%

Intermediate Skiing

57%

Advance & Expert Terrain

20%

Snowboarding Trails

1547 acres100%

Crested Butte Restaurants

Crested Butte Après Ski

Crested Butte Activites for Non-skiers

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

There are about three dozen shops in Crested Butte covering all the essentials. Perhaps most of interest to visitors are the various high quality craft shops in the historic old town district which reflect the common love of the magnificent surroundings, enjoyed by the great mix of people fortunate enough to be considered 'locals'.

Be wary that on 'fresh powder days' some establishments may close early or not open at all, a hastily scribbled sign to the effect of 'gone skiing' should be displayed in the window. Once again this is indicative of the place.

Best Time to Visit Crested Butte

An altitude range of 9,100 - 11,900 feet is excellent for preserving snow but as Crested Butte’s terrain is the steepest, most technical terrain in Colorado, it’s also some of the trickiest to cover. While the front, beginner and intermediate side of the mountain is usually open for the Christmas holidays, the North Face has been open by Christmas in fewer than 20% of seasons. Except when there’s abundant early season snow, experts will have the best time from February onwards. The good news is, the High Lift and North Face steeps usually hold onto packed powder conditions up to and beyond the early April close.

What's Crested Butte like at Christmas?

Famed for once having the most skiing Santa’s at any one moment, Christmas in Crested Butte is sure to leave you with a few stories. Other zany activities have included a Winter Solstice party, ice carving competition and the spectacle of Santa being pulled down the slopes by snowcat..

What's Crested Butte like in the New Year?

Join crowds on the Butte 66 deck to watch a torchlit parade and fireworks show for New Year in Crested Butte, or get merry down in town where, needless to say, drinks specials and live music will be ubiquitous.

What's Crested Butte like in Half-Term?

There’s no such thing as half-term in the US, not that this quiet resort would feel the strain if there were. So Half-Term in Crested Butte is about the most likely place that teachers, mum, dad and kids will all have a blast.

What's Crested Butte like at Easter?

Not making do with just any old egg hunt, if it’s anything like previous years, Easter in Crested Butte will see a mountain-wide Golden Egg Hunt with prizes like a season pass for the whole winter.

Crested Butte Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Crested Butte snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Crested Butte snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Crested Butte snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

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National Geographic voted CB the “best ski town for families hoping to raise the next freeskiing champion”. But even if your offspring are not born super shredders, with activities like the Adventure Park with a Zero Gravity BagJump, rock-climbing wall and bungee tramps, CB is a winner. The laid back attitude in the resort makes it a stress free place for all visitors.

The area has trails especially for kids, including ones that ski through a (now uninhabited) bear cave, Forest Service lodge and gold-mining building. Often on selected dates “no-strings” free lift passes are available for under 12’s.

Day care is offered from age six months at the slopeside Whetstone Children's Centre - full-day, half day or by the hour - and rates are said to be cheaper than other Colorado hot spots. Kids’ World, meanwhile, offers the usual incredibly comprehensive child-friendly ski program that is the norm for Colorado's top ski resorts. The 7ft skiing teddy, Bubba Bear, is especially popular with the kids in ski school.

Teens too have more just for them than most resorts offer, including a specially tailored tuition program (skiing or boarding). In town there's a Teen Centre with billiards, football, table tennis and sponsored activities like dances and movie nights.

Whether you’re a bunch of seasoned skiers or a mix of different abilities; staying near the slopes in Mount Crested Butte or down in Crested Butte town, this place has a smashing variety of ski terrain and entertainment to suit everyone. The resort is experienced when it comes to hosting ski clubs, weddings and family reunions, making a group trip of any shape or size doable.

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Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Crested Butte

Maximum and minimum adult Crested Butte lift pass prices ranged from $365 to $648 for 6 days access to the Crested Butte ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Crested Butte holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price N / A $71 - $120 $57 - $96
6 Day Price N / A $365 - $648 $292 - $518
Age Range 7 - 12 18 - 64 65+

Getting to Crested Butte

Most of our ski holidays to Crested Butte packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Crested Butte from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Crested Butte from the UK?

Flights from London take about 9 hours to Denver, Jackson Hole etc.. This table shows approximate transfer times to Crested Butte from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
Denver 371.759 km 4 hours 30 minutes
Gunnison 44 km 30 minutes

How long is the transfer from nearest United States train station to Crested Butte?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Crested Butte transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
Denver 371.759 km 371.759

Crested Butte Maps

Crested Butte piste map
Click to Enlarge
Local Map 1, Crested Butte
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Local Map 2, Crested Butte
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Crested Butte Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Crested Butte ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

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Similar Ski Resorts to Crested Butte in United States


Every Sno holiday packaged with flights is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All our suppliers are ATOL bonded, so your money is safe. In addition to this, payments for your holiday are held in trust, by NatWest bank and the Travel Trust, who insure every booking against supplier failure.

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