GUNNISON COUNTRY CYBERSHOPPER

The outdoor guide to the Gunnison, Crested Butte and Lake City areas of  Colorado!

Here is a cool link to camping in the area!  more camping info!

All areas offer whitewater rafting through many companies

Things to see and do/ Places to go/ What to expect

Gunnison

Crested Butte

Lake City

Almont

The Gunnison Area

Gunnison got it's start as a major supply town for all of the Gunnison country. Once it was thought that it would be the site of the state capital. That is why the streets are so wide compared to many other western slope towns. It is still a supply town today for all the towns surrounding it. Gunnison is the home of Western State College, a full 4-year school.

Biking/Hiking

• Hartman Rocks south of Gunnison offers a variety of good mountain biking and motorcycle trails.

• The Mill Creek area some 10 miles up Ohio Creek north of Gunnison has all kinds of trails great for day hikes. You turn off Ohio Creek road to the west, and travel on that dirt road for a few miles. There are 3 trailheads along the Mill Creek road to choose from.  The road dead ends at the last one of those.                                                                               

Fishing/Boating

• Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest water playground in Colorado featuring fishing, water skiing and wind surfing (Wet suits recommended for all in water sports here) Located 10 miles west of Gunnison. It is also home to Blue Herons, Eagles, Sea Gulls and migrating Pelicans. Salmon, Brown, Rainbow and Mackinaw Trout, as well as Northern Pike exist in these cooler waters.

• The Gunnison river west of town 5 miles has excellent trout fishing and day use at Cooper Ranch and Neversink recreational sites. There are many rafting companies floating the Gunnison also.

Scenic Drives

• The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a must see! You drive west to the dam below Blue Mesa Reservoir and turn on Colorado Hwy 92. If driven in a loop it is a beautiful day drive to Montrose, coming back on US Hwy 50, or you can go through the towns of Crawford and Paonia and return over Kebler Pass to Crested Butte, then south on Colorado Hwy 135 back to Gunnison. Kebler Pass CLOSED IN WINTER

• The drive to Lake City and up Slumgullion Pass is stupendous for a day trip.

• Heading north out of Gunnison 4 miles and turning on the Ohio Creek road one can travel over Ohio Pass during the summer months to Crested Butte, and back to Gunnison to make a nice short day loop. CLOSED IN WINTER

Horse Country

• The Soap Creek drainage NW from The Blue Mesa dam is an excellent place to take your horse. You can take a trailer as far as Commissary campground, and ride from there. It is not recommended to take the trailer past Soap Creek campground if it is wet however, and you can not go passed Commissary anyway with a trailer. Soap Creek and Commissary campgrounds have corrals in which to keep your horses. Soap Creek Campground is a nice campground facility as well. Call the USFS at: 970-641-0471 for more info or check out their cool link .

• Rainbow Lake is another good horse adventure. The turn off is 12 miles west of Gunnison to the north, then you trailer 10 miles to the lake. From there the West Elk Wilderness boundary is just north of the lake.

• Ohio Creek road offers access to the West Elks also. The turn off is 4 miles north of Gunnison to the NW. Around 15 miles up is the Swampy Pass trailhead which gets you into the wilderness in about 2 hrs.

4 Wheel Drive

• The Lost Canyon area is accessible by going north of town 1 mile to the Cranor Hill road behind the Town and Country vet clinic. You travel on that small paved road for about 5 miles, then go straight off it when it turns west.

• There are numerous jeep roads off Hwy 114 east of Gunnison 8 miles then turning south.

• Marshall Pass road out of Sargents 35 miles east of town is a beautiful drive up the old narrow gauge rail line. CLOSED IN WINTER

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Crested Butte Country

The town of Crested Butte is a National Historic District located 28 miles north of Gunnison on Colorado Hwy 135. The geography of the area is unique to the Gunnison Country, and rises from the Gunnison valley to the south. Crested Butte was a supply town for many years for mines and smaller townships surrounding it in all directions. It became its' own mining town playing host to the large Big Mine, and many smaller coal mines. Coal was king until the 1950's when the demand dropped, and the railroad pulled out. Tourism is now the industry for Crested Butte and surrounding areas, particularly skiing.

Mountain Biking The best there is!

• There are so many mountain biking trails in the area that we can not mention them all on this page. Premier among them though are: Trail 401 north of Gothic; Ferris Creek/Strand Hill SE of Crested Butte; and Upper Loop from Mt. Crested Butte. Crested Butte Mountain Resort is also up-loading bicycles on the lifts this summer. For More information on trails in the area please check it out through the people who ride every day.

Skiing

• Crested Butte Mountain Resort is located 3 miles from Crested Butte in the town of Mt. Crested Butte. This 40 year old ski area is one of the premier ski areas in Colorado. It offers terrain for the family, as well as extreme terrain for the seemingly crazy. The proximity to the town of Crested Butte gives this ski area a real down home western flavor, with friendly laid back service. Skiing here, you have 14 lifts at your disposal, including 3 high-speed quads. More Info

Hiking

• Judd Falls located just north of the town of Gothic (Gothic is 7 miles north of Crested Butte), offers a nice short hike for the novice hiker with incredible scenery, and continuing on into the Snowmass/Maroon Bells Wilderness will more than satisfy the experienced backpacker. This trail winds up in Aspen after a rugged 12 mile hike over East Maroon Pass.

• Rustlers Gulch about 4 miles north of Gothic is another beautiful hike east of Gothic Road, and it also accesses Precarious and Bellevue Peaks for the experienced climber. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, elk, deer, and many other smaller animals can be seen from this beautiful drainage.

• Poverty Gulch up the Slate River Drainage is another nice hike. It rises out of the town of Pittsburg. The Augusta Mine is at the head of it on Augusta Mt. It sported one of the first mining trams in the state from the late 1800's through the early 1900's. It was continually wiped out by avalanches and abandoned.

Scenic Drives

• One of the most beautiful drives in the CB area is with out a doubt the Paradise Divide loop. You head up Slate River road which is 1 mile north of Crested Butte. The road climbs gradually up the drainage past the town of Pittsburg and continues to take you through the Divide to join the Gothic Rd. above Emerald Lake. You can stop at the lake and fish, or continue down the road back to CB. It takes 3 hours if you do not stop as I am sure you will. You can do it with a car when dry, but it is not recommended from a clearance standpoint. This also a good novice bike ride as well. CLOSED IN WINTER

• Another really cool drive is over Kebler Pass to Paonia. You go through town on Elk Ave. and turn left at the last street then take a right in 2 blocks and you are on your way. It is really pretty, and can take you on an all day loop to the Black Canyon, and back through Gunnison. CLOSED IN WINTER

• Off the Kebler Pass road you can turn right 5 miles from CB and go to Lake Irwin. It is pretty and has fairly good fishing (no motor boats though). Irwin Lodge is right above the lake on a switch-back road suitable for a car. It is a spectacular view from there, and they offer lunch and dinner daily. SNOWMOBILE ONLY IN WINTER

Fishing

• The area around Crested Butte is full of small streams in which the Brook Trout thrive. Washington Gulch is a great spot to learn the art of fly fishing, and the beginner has a "whale" of a chance to land the small "Brooke". The turn off to it is 3 miles up Gothic road to the left, then 4 miles to the start of open water. It is private land so be sure and take care of it by not driving off the road.

• The Brush Creeks, West, Middle, and East are great for both the Brook, and larger trout. To go very far up you really need a 4-wheel drive however. Middle is the best for long stretches of open water. One mile south of CB you turn left, go past the golf course, and you are on your way. The river you follow for the early part of the drive is East River and is private, there is no admittance.

• Fishing above Gothic is excellent, and once out of Gothic there is very little private water. Emerald Lake is a great spot to spend the day with your fishing pole, and a lunch.

4-Wheel Drive

• For the heavy-duty 4-wheeler, Pearl Pass up the Middle Brush Creek is awesome. It is very rough near the top however, and larger rigs are not recommended. You can make a long day trip to Aspen out of it, or a nice two day with an overnight stay in Aspen. One mile south of CB, turn left, and follow the signs after the first 5 miles or so. This is a popular dirt bike road too. CLOSED IN WINTER

• Schofield Pass is hard-core, and a temptation for every 4-wheeler, but unless you are in a small 4-wheel drive such as a Jeep it is NOT recommended. I have been over it many times, but it IS dangerous if you do not know what is what, and know your rig. Meeting a vehicle in the Punch Bowl area is going to stop your descent. A spotter walking down ahead of you is good. You come out in Marble, and can come back over Kebler Pass. Just head north of CB through Gothic, and keep going and you will soon be at the top of Schofield above Emerald Lake. *Often times there is a snow slide below Emerald you can not get through. CLOSED IN WINTER

• There are numerous out and back trips around for the more novice driver, or simply someone who is "over" the hard-core 4-wheeling. Ask most anyone around town for directions.

Horse Country

• In the area of Crested Butte there are dozens of great horse trails! Most of them are now shared with bicycles though, so your horse needs to be of a non-flighty type. The Dyke Trail from Lake Irwin to Horse Ranch Park is a nice day ride. You can also trailer to Horse Ranch 12 miles on the Kebler Pass road and access the Raggeds Wilderness on the right side of the Park for a longer trip.

• Turning left from Horse Ranch Park will give you access to the West Elk Wilderness over Beckwith Pass. You can make a long day loop to Swampy Pass off the Ohio Creek road, and have someone pick you up there. The multi-day trips in the wilderness afford dozens of routes also.

• Any of the 4-wheel drive roads also offer great riding, but are dusty due to traffic, some worse than others. There are also numerous outfitters around who can really show you the country whether you are a novice or have your own horses.

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Lake City

Lake City is a National Historic District located 55 miles south of Gunnison on Hwy 149 in the San Juan Mountains. It is a quaint little town of 350 residents with year round access. Its' roots were mining in the 1800's. Here are a few of the many things to see and do. You can also check out their community site by going to our recommended links page.

Snowmobiling

• Lake City is one of the premier spots in Colorado for snowmobiling in the winter. Consult their Chamber web page found on my Links page accessed from the top of this page.

Scenic Drives

• The drive to Lake City is truly beautiful in itself. Once there one can drive on through over Slumgullion and Spring Creek Passes, winding up in the town of Creede.

• Backtracking toward Gunnison you can drive East out of Powderhorn to the tiny town of Cathedral. The country there is canyons mixed in the rolling sage, and really neat.

Fishing

• Henson and Cebolla (pronounced Sa-voy-ya) creeks, and the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River all offer excellent fishing! There is a lot of info on them in my favorite links page.

Hiking

• Uncompagrhe Peak is a really neat ALL DAY hike out of Lake City. It is not for the weak, however it does necessitate expert ability either. Call the Chamber there for details. There is virtually nothing in Western Colorado you can not see from there!

*We will continue to add info here as we compile it.*

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Almont

The tiny town of Almont is 10 miles north of Gunnison where the East and Taylor rivers meet to form the Gunnison River. The Gunnison is the headwaters of the Colorado River. The town was homesteaded as a sport fishing resort in the early 1900's, named after a race horse. It was also a way station for miners from many surrounding mines as they traveled to and from Gunnison. at one time the railroad passed through Almont to Crested Butte. We list this area because it accesses a very large area of the Gunnison Country.

Scenic Drives

• Driving NE out of Almont up Taylor Canyon, you reach Taylor Park which is a beautiful area only 21 miles away. You can fish the reservoir and streams there, or simply grab a lunch at the Nugget Cafe at the Trading Post. One can continue on to the north and make a loop out of the trip by coming back down Spring Creek Canyon.

• By traveling east by south-east from the Trading Post you come to the historic town of Tincup. Many old buildings remain, including the Old Town Hall. The town hall doubles on Friday nights for family dances, and on Sunday for church services. Tincup has many summer residents, and it is a fun place to poke around.

• You can continue on past Tincup to drive Cumberland Pass, coming out in Pitkin east of Gunnison and returning on highways 50 and 135. It is a decent dirt road in the mid-summer only. CLOSED IN WINTER

4-Wheeling

• 8 miles up Taylor river you come to One Mile campground. You drive through it and you are on your way to the Beaver Creek area. It can be a loop on to Gunnison coming out on the Cranor Hill Road and back to 135, or you can fish in the creek for Brook trout.

• Union Park is off to the right up Willow Creek just passed the Lakeview campground. There are many meadows to picnic in, and fishing is fine. CLOSED IN WINTER

• There are numerous other jeep trips in the area of Taylor Park. Stop in at the Trading Post and ask them what they recommend.

• Taylor Park is renowned for it's dirt biking trails!

Fishing

• Taylor Reservoir, Spring Creek Reservoir, and the Pot Holes between the two, offer excellent fishing if you are a lake type fisherman.

• The rivers Taylor and Spring Creek, as well as the Gunnison and East have remarkable fishing as well. Much of the waters are Gold Medal water, which means catch and release. Check with the Division of Wildlife in Gunnison for details. 641-0088

• The many tiny creeks in the area have really good Brook Trout fishing, and you can take more of them than any other species.

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