Gunnison County, Colorado
Gunnison County emcompasses 3,239 square miles. 78% of Gunnison County is Federal Land owned by the USFS (1,220,035 acres), BLM (355,350 acres), and Curecanti National Recreation Area (40,000 acres), a total of 2,526 square miles.
Visitors & Tourism
For Gunnison County vacation planning and assistance, please visit the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's official web site for tourism in Gunnison County.
Other helpful resources:
Area Community Information
Almont
| Location: |
11 miles north of Gunnison where the Taylor and East rivers meet to from the Gunnison River. |
| Colorado.com Description: |
Located between Gunnison and Crested Butte, where the tumbling waters of the Taylor and East River meet to form the Gunnison River, Almont is small-town Colorado at its best. Originally named Fishers for the first settler in the area, the town was renamed in 1881 to Almont, after a famous racehorse of the day.
In mining times, ore from area camps was brought to Almont to be transported via rail to Gunnison. When the railroad folded and the mining boom ended, people stayed to live in Almont's tranquil, resort-like setting. Rustic cabins still dot the landscape, and time seems to move a little slower here.
Today the town is popular with fishermen and rafters. Featuring ranch resorts, riverside cabins, campsites and rafting outfitters, Almont caters to visitors who appreciate a quieter, simpler vacation.
The town also serves as a great launching point for canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, four-wheel driving and mountain biking. Check out the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery on the west side of Highway 135. In the winter, this town is a superb destination for outdoor pursuits such as cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing. Almont is perfectly situated to access the recreational opportunities Gunnison National Forest offers year-round. | (return to top)
Crested Butte
| Location: |
226 miles southwest of Denver on Colorado 135 |
| Colorado.com Description: |
Big, open and free of crowds, Crested Butte, a quaint 1880’s historic mining town and Registered National Historic District, is often called “Colorado’s last great ski town.” In summer, this winter paradise turns in to the perfect destination to enjoy all of Colorado’s outdoor recreational activities: mountain biking on epic trails, hiking in alpine and aspen forests, fishing in pristine rivers, lakes and streams, and whitewater rafting and kayaking in class II–IV rapids. Camping is also available in nearby Gunnison National Forest providing a variety of amenities — from primitive to full-service. Enjoy boating and all water sports on Colorado’s largest lake, the Blue Mesa, part of Curecanti National Recreation Area. Horseback riding in the Rocky Mountains is one of the best ways to take in the spectacular scenery. Crested Butte is the “official wildflower capital of Colorado,” as it explodes with color during spring. While you’re in town, be sure to visit the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum.
In winter, skiers and snowboarders revel on Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s thousand-plus acres of terrain, ranging from beginner and intermediate groomers, to extreme glades and steeps. Fourteen chairlifts service 2,700 vertical feet of pure paradise. The terrain parks and incredible half-pipes offer innovative options for aspiring and experienced free-style riders. In summer, Crested Butte Mountain Resort turns into a mountain bike and hiking destination. Ride the chairlift up, and bike or hike down.
Year-round, enjoy one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants and a variety of comfortable lodging options. |
| Elevation: |
8885 feet |
| Population: |
Total Population: 1,529 (2005); Male 848; Female 681
Median Resident Age: 30.6 years
Races: White/Non-Hispanic 75%; Hispanic 20.2%; Two or More Races 5.6%; Vietnamese 4.8%; Other 1.6%
Ancestries: Irish 19.5%; English 17.8%; German 17.2%; Italian 4.8%; Swedish 4.1%; Scottish 4.1%
Population Density: 2,200 people per square mile (0.7 total sq. mi.) |
| Median Household Income: |
$41,300 (2005)
Average Household Size: 2.2 people
Residents with Income Below the Poverty Level: 11.4% (1999) |
| Median House/Condo Value |
$351,400 (2005) |
| Median Real Estate Tax: |
0.5% (2000) |
| Nearest Hospital or Medical Center: |
Aspen Valley Hospital (26 miles - Aspen)
Gunnison Valley Hospital (28 miles - Gunnison)
Valley View Hospital Association (52 miles - Glenwood Springs)
|
| Nearest Airport: |
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional (24 miles - Gunnison)
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (26 miles - Aspen)
North Fork Valley (46 miles - Paonia)
Crawford (47 miles - Crawford)
Glenwood Springs Municipal (49 miles - Glenwood Springs)
Eagle County Regional (53 miles - Eagle)
|
| Chamber of Commerce: |
Please visit the Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce website for more information.
|
| Government: |
Town of Crested Butte
507 Maroon Avenue
Crested Butte, CO 81224
(970) 349-5338
Town of Crested Butte Website
| (return to top)
Gunnison
| Location: |
The City of Gunnison, the County Seat of Gunnison County, is centrally located in the State of Colorado, 200 miles from Denver and 180 miles from Colorado Springs, the major metropolitan areas of the state. The city is approximately 30 miles west of the Continental Divide at the confluence of the Gunnison and Tomichi Rivers. Crested Butte and Monarch ski areas are 28 miles north and 42 miles east, respectively. Gunnison's elevation is 7,703 feet. |
| Colorado.com Description: |
Gunnison is rather like a home on the range surrounded by ski areas and a national park. The city, which feels like a cattleman's town, is the kind of place where you don't feel like a tourist as much as somebody visiting the folks.
It's a great base camp for exploring a treasure trove of natural and man-made attractions. To get there, you probably have to cross Monarch Pass, where you'll find good skiing in winter. Head north from town and you'll end up in Crested Butte, famous for its extreme terrain.
But head west and the valley drops away into the Curecanti National Recreation Area, Blue Mesa Reservoir and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The reservoir, Colorado's largest man-made lake, in the summer is full of canoes, sailboats, pontoon and motor boats, and people water-skiing, fishing, even parasailing in the refreshing water. Summer celebrations also honor the area's Western roots, and the dominant entree on dinner menus is steak.
Among Gunnison's newest attractions is a man-made whitewater park on the Gunnison river. The park stretches several hundred feet, with various rock structures providing a playground for recreational kayakers and rafters. Fishing is also allowed in some sections.
Near Gunnison are some well-preserved ghost towns, which they'll be happy to tell you about at the visitors' center. In fact, they're right friendly folks in Gunnison. Stop in and say howdy.
|
| Population: |
5,318 (CY 2004) |
| Economic Base: |
Tourism, Education & Ranching |
| Commuting Area: |
Gunnison is situated centrally between the two most populated areas of the country - the Los Angeles Basin and Chicago. The rapid growth communities of Denver, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction are within 200 miles each, allowing for easy transportation and distribution access to these market reservoirs. |
| Cost of Living: |
| Category |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
|---|
| Grocery |
113 |
121 |
117 |
| Housing |
127 |
126 |
114 |
| Utilities |
93 |
93 |
104 |
| Transportation |
105 |
106 |
102 |
| Health Care |
99 |
99 |
98 |
| Miscellaneous |
100 |
105 |
98 |
| Average |
106 |
108 |
105 |
|---|
|
| Education: |
Gunnison Watershed RE1J School District
Western State College |
| Chamber of Commerce: |
Please visit the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce website for more information. |
| Organizations: |
Gunnison Valley Observatory |
| Climate: |
Average Minimum & Maximum Temperatures |
|---|
| Month |
Crested Butte |
Gunnison |
Pitkin |
|
High |
Low |
High |
Low |
High |
Low |
| January |
28 |
-4 |
26 |
-7 |
27 |
-3 |
April |
47 |
18 |
56 |
22 |
46 |
15 |
July |
76 |
38 |
81 |
42 |
74 |
37 |
October |
57 |
21 |
62 |
22 |
55 |
20 | |
| Government: |
| (return to top)
Marble
(return to top)
Mt. Crested Butte
| Location: |
|
| Colorado.com Description: |
Over the next few years, visitors to Mt. Crested Butte (known as Colorado’s “Last Great Ski Town”) will find a whole new mountain awaiting them – complete with added lifts, lodges, a conference center and fresh terrain. In July 2005, Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) unveiled a plan for a five-year, multi-million dollar overhaul of the existing ski area that included many on-mountain improvements, construction of a new$200 million town center and plans to expand onto neighboring Snodgrass Mountain.
Skiers and snowboarders will revel in the 1,125 acres of terrain featuring 121 trails ranging from easy-going beginner runs to the Butte’s legendary extremes. Terrain parks, a superpipe, snowshoe loop, two tubing hills, the indoor Kids Zone and a variety of base-area shops offer fun for all ages. Ride a Snowcat for twilight dining at Rustica, or enjoy an evening cocktail at Ice Bar — a bar made of ice — before dining on gourmet fare. Then ski or snowshoeing back to the base area.
Mt. Crested Butte also delivers in beauty and outdoor fun during the summer and fall months. Two chairlifts operate to transport mountain bikers, hikers and sightseers. The ski area also hosts a series of mountain bike events. Go up the road a bit for some of the area’s premiere hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. Grab a little R&R at the playground, picnic pavilion, tennis courts and Mountain Garden nestled in a lush valley right by Town Hall. You may even be lucky enough to see a wedding underway in the garden! |
| Population: |
747 |
| Elevation: |
9375 feet | (return to top)
Pitkin
| Location: |
28.7 miles east of Gunnison. |
| Colorado.com Description: |
Pitkin rests at 9,242 feet, deep in the belly of the rugged Gunnison National Forest near Wauneta Pass. In downtown, visitors can browse a collectibles shop or old general store, and explore remnants of the old quartz-mining days. Lodging is available at the local hostel, or in area cabins, lodges and campgrounds.
Four-wheel driving tours are especially popular in this mountain community near the Continental Divide. One of the area's most acclaimed roads is the historic Alpine Tunnel, which narrows at the Divide, making for a cliff-hugging lurch around a man-made terrace known as the "Palisades." The historic district here, open in the summer only, encompasses 13 miles of the old Denver, South Park and Pacific rail bed from the town site of Quartz (Gunnison County) to Hancock (Chaffee County). To the north, interesting ghost towns dot popular four-wheel-drive stretches on Tin Cup and Cottonwood Passes.
Waunita Hot Springs is another attraction near Pitkin. The healing waters at Waunita, one of hundreds of area springs, were supposedly named after an Indian maiden who cried tears that turned to hot springs when they hit the ground. Today the hot springs operate as a private dude ranch, complete with lodging and horseback riding. |
| Population: |
Total Population: 124 (2005); Male 57; Female 67
Median Resident Age: 44.8 years
Races: White/Non-Hispanic 75%; Hispanic 20.2%; Two or More Races 5.6%; Vietnamese 4.8%; Other 1.6%
Ancestries: German 16.1%; English 12.1%; United States 10.5%; Irish 9.7%; Scottish 9.7%; Scotch-Irish 6.5%
Population Density: 429 people per square mile (0.27 total sq. mi.) |
| Elevation: |
9241 feet |
| Median Household Income: |
$49,400 (2005)
Average Household Size: 2.6 people
Residents with Income Below the Poverty Level: 4.6% (1999) |
| Median House/Condo Value |
$208,700 (2005) |
| Median Real Estate Tax: |
0.3% (2005) |
| Nearest Hospital or Medical Center: |
Gunnison Valley Hospital (32 miles - Gunnison)
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (34 miles - Salida)
St. Vincent General Hospital District (46 miles - Leadville) |
| Nearest Airport: |
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional (29 miles - Gunnison)
Central Colorado Regional (31 miles - Buena Vista)
Harriet Alexander Field (34 miles - Salida)
Saguache Muni (44 miles - Saguache)
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (49 miles - Aspen)
Eagle County Regional (76 miles - Eagle) |
| News Sources: |
SummitDaily.com, AspenDailyNews.com, VailDaily.com | (return to top)
Sapinero
| Location: |
Latitude: 38.45944, Longitude: -107.30167 |
| Population: |
Total Population: 374 (2005); Male 195; Female 179
Median Resident Age: 40.8 years
Races: White/Non-Hispanic 90.4%; Two or More 5.1%; Hispanic 2.9%; Other 2.9%
Population Density: 0.4 people per square mile (972 total sq. mi.) |
| Elevation: |
7642 feet |
| Median Household Income: |
$35,800 (2005)
Average Household Size: 2.4 people
Residents with Income Below the Poverty Level: 2.6% (1999) |
| Median House/Condo Value |
$169,500 (2005) |
| Median Real Estate Tax: |
0.4% (2000) |
| Nearest Hospital or Medical Center: |
Gunnison Valley Hospital (26 miles - Gunnison)
Montrose Memorial Hospital (39 miles - Montrose)
Delta County Memorial Hospital (60 miles - Delta) |
| Nearest Airport: |
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional (30 miles - Gunnison)
Crawford (33 miles - Crawford)
North Fork Valley (39 miles - Paonia)
Montrose Regional (42 miles - Montrose)
| (return to top)
Schofield
| Location: |
Near Crystal. |
| GhostTowns.com Description: |
Schofield was a small town at the top of the main pass from the Gunnison/Crested Butte area over to the Crystal/Marble/Redstone area. There is nothing left of the town. At one point General Grant rode into town on a white mule but a barrel of whiskey was roled out which sufficed. A mill was built in 1881 and at its height it had a hotel, restaurant, post office, store, carpenter, blacksmith, barber and daily mail service. By 1885 the ores played out and the town was no more. Today, the main attraction is Schofield pass which according the signs coming from the Crystal/Marble side is only passable by bicycle or ATV. Schofield pass is known as the most deadly pass in Colorado and for good reason. More information and images can be found here. |
| Wikipedia.org Description: |
Schofield Pass is a high mountain pass located near Crested Butte CO and is one of the most popular ways to get to Snowmass Mountain.
Schofield Pass is the high point on Gothic Road which connects the towns of Marble and Crested Butte. Unless Gothic Road has been improved within the last several years [doubtful] there are some treacherous sections, not for the faint-of-heart nor for long wheelbase vehicles. Do not be lulled into complacency by "casual" and beautiful sections that ultimately lead you into the upper reaches of the Crystal River gorge. Avoid committing your vehicle to what is in front of you until you are sure of what you are getting into because things could get worse.
It is closed except for 1-2 months in late summer due to snow or mud.
Parking is available in the town of Crystal, and 4WD-high clearance trucks can continue 2 miles (with a left at the fork) to the trailhead at 9700 feet. Accessible only by high-clearance 4-wheel-drive trucks.
Two miles from the trailhead, you reach spectacular Geneva Lake. | (return to top)
Somerset
| Location: |
|
| Colorado.com Description: |
|
| Population: |
Total Population: 488 (2005); Male 267; Female 221
Median Resident Age: 43.9 years
Races: White/Non-Hispanic 94.5%; Hispanic 4.1%; Other 2.7%; Japanese 0.6%
Ancestries: German 57.1%; Irish 92.5%; Danish 24.8%; Italian 18.1%; United States 16.2%; English 5.7%
Population Density: 0.7 people per square mile (673.5 total sq. mi.) |
| Elevation: |
6042 feet |
| Median Household Income: |
$37,000 (2005)
Average Household Size: 2.3 people
Residents with Income Below the Poverty Level in 1999: 10.1% |
| Median House/Condo Value |
$243,800 (2005) |
| Median Real Estate Tax: |
0.3% (2005) |
| Nearest Hospital or Medical Center: |
Valley View Hospital Association (38 miles - Glenwood Springs)
Aspen Valley Hospital (38 miles - Aspen)
Gunnison Valley Hospital (44 miles - Gunnison)
|
| Nearest Airport: |
North Fork Valley (25 miles - Paonia)
Crawford (29 miles - Crawford)
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (36 miles - Aspen)
Glenwood Springs Municipal (36 miles - Glenwood Springs)
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional (42 miles - Gunnison)
Montrose Regional (51 miles - Montrose) |
| News Sources: |
| (return to top)
Tin Cup
| Location: |
Latitude: 38.75444, Longitude: -106.47778 |
| GhostTowns.com Description: |
The first placer gold was found in the Tin Cup area in 1859, and the first big strike in 1879. Tin Cup got its name from one of the prospectors that carried out his gold dust in a tin cup. The underworld ruled Tin Cup and there never really was any law. Every time an honest sheriff would arrive, he would be told what to do by the leaders of the underworld. If he didn't comply, he was killed. And so the cemetery at Tin Cup is filled with honest sheriffs and other good people that did not comply with the underworlds demands. Around the turn of the century there was said to be about 2000 people here and shortly after that the population dwindeled. Now there are only ruins and a popular recreation area. More information and images can be found here. |
| PitkinColorado.com Description: |
Even if you don't know exactly where it is, or how to get there, chances are you've probably at least heard of Tin Cup. It's a breath of fresh air, photogenic, pastoral, and the quintessential "get away from everything" kind of place that is fun to find.
But contrary to what you might have thought, Tin Cup is not a ghost town. This misconception is probably a result of the fact that almost all local residences are very old cabins that have been restored to original condition—giving it the appearance of a town that has not changed in the last 150 years.
The western flank of the Continental Divide had for centuries been home to the Ute Indians. Captain Zebulon M. Pike reportedly reached the area in 1806 while exploring territory acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. But it wasn't until the 1850's as prospectors were returning east after being discouraged in efforts to find their fortunes in the California goldfields, that the Rockies began to attract non-Indian visitors. James Taylor, an 18-year-old Georgian is the first reported white man to settle in the Taylor Park area, which makes up most of the Tin Cup District's land area.
There are only a couple businesses in Tin Cup, a small store/gift shop in the middle of town, and Frenchy's, a small log cabin restaurant (with a colorful past!) where you can enjoy a great burger, or dessert. They're not always open; but the sign out front will clearly let you know whether they're Open or Closed.
Take a few minutes to visit the old cemetery. It contains Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish sections.
Tin Cup can be accessed from Cottonwood Pass west of Buena Vista, from Taylor Canyon east of Almont, and from the beautiful Cumberland Pass which exits from the north end of Pitkin.
Tin Cup has a colorful past, and for an excellent account of the history of the area as well as some entertaining reading, we recommend you pick up "Colorado's Alluring Tin Cup" by Conrad F. Schader; it provides an entertaining account of the Tin Cup District, its settlements, people, and mines.
The book is available in the small store across from Frenchy's, as well as many book stores throughout Colorado.
| (return to top)
White Pine
| Location: |
Near Pitkin. |
| GhostTowns.com Description |
White Pine's rich silver deposits were first mined around 1878. The camp began to flourish several years later but never attained the status of a boomtown. One reason, if not the principal reason, was its history of avalanches, most of them with fatalities. White Pine, like other towns that based their entire economy on the silver market, suffered the same fate after the crash of 1893. By 1894, White Pine was deserted. There were, however, sporadic bursts of activity from time to time around 1900, none of which could bring the town back to life. Today, it is truly a ghost town. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth. More information and images can be found here. | (return to top)
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