I always thought of Crested Butte, Colorado as a winter destination because of the incredible skiing. However, in the summer it is just as popular and known as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado.
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1. Hiking
I haven’t hiked at 8,000 feet before so we were looking for an easy hike to dip our toe in. The criteria we were looking for was a small elevation gain, between 2-5 miles and features views of wildflowers. The Travel Crested Butte website allows you to search for hikes that will be the best hike for you based on this criteria. It is amazing. We chose to hike Brush Creek which is right by our house and we LOVED IT! It was truly stunning yet enjoyable and calm.
2. Mountain Biking
There is a couple different ways to mountain bike in Crested Butte. The first is the traditional, hardcore way down the mountain with paths as big as the bike tire. The second is the e-bike, which my family chose to do. An e-bike for mountain biking has a pedal assist that gives you some extra power to get up the mountain. These aren’t allowed on all trails but there are still so many that they can go on that it doesn’t really matter. I loved our e-bike ride, we sticked on the road and we able to hit 25 mph. Be careful though, you don’t want to get so caught up in messing with the gears and buttons that you slip up and fall. My mom learned that the hard way.
We rented our bikes from Crested Butte Sports at the base of the mountain.
3. Horseback Ride
Crested Butte has so much wide open land that it makes sense they offer horseback riding. It is such a relaxing way to explore the area, especially if you struggle on hiking and on bike rides. We haven’t done this yet but you can find information on it on Travel Crested Butte’s website.
4. Fly Fishing
I absolutely loved fly fishing! Beware though, this is an expensive activity. We did a full day (6 hours) fly fishing guided boat day with Eleven Experiences and it was incredible. The guides were so kind, knowledgeable and great teachers. They also provided a catered lunch from a nearby deli.
I think it is so fun to float down the river and constantly be fishing new areas, trying new flys and methods. It is so much more exciting than just fishing off your grandma’s dock on the lake.
I caught a rainbow trout and hooked a few fish but was unable to reel them back to the boat. Meanwhile, my sister caught seven fish! **Allegedly**
If you are looking for a more affordable option to fly fishing, our guide Domenic, has just started his own company called West Feather. If you are interested, reach out to him at dom@westfeather.com or call +19709884274!
5. 4th of July
We were in Crested Butte over the Fourth of July and it was so wholesome. They had a great little parade that you could just casually show up to, no need to save seats weeks ahead. There was so much town pride and activism in their parade which I loved.
After the parade, everyone hangs out at Elk Avenue shops and bars. The families head towards the town ice rink where there is a massive water gun fight. Even the firefighters participate by shooting their firehoses up in the air and creating a huge rain shower. The kids loved it.
The afternoon was dead for us as out-of-towners so we enjoyed the time just napping, grilling out and spending time outdoors.
In the evening, there was a laser light show at the base of the mountain. This was the first year they have done this in replacement of fireworks because of wildfires. It was a good attempt, but I’d say unsuccessful. It was mostly a movie of moving light figures on a big screen with some random lasers in the sky that you could only see because of the blasting fog machine. The music was super quiet too. I don’t know it was just kind of underwhelming.
6. ATV and Off-roading
Another thing that I haven’t done yet but am dying to! In the winter we went snowmobiling and had a BLAST so I can only imagine it to be similar. I might try to do it this fall when I come. Here is where you can find some information on it: https://travelcrestedbutte.com/crested-butte-atv-off-road/
7. Wildflower Festival
The Crested Butte Chambers of Commerce hosts a Wildflower Festival for a week in July every summer. The destination is the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, you have to embrace it! There were at least ten scheduled activities every day celebrating the wildflowers in a different way. There were guided hikes, cocktail making classes with the flowers, flower pressing, painting classes, and photography classes. We unfortunately left the day before the festival began or else I would have totally signed up for an activity. Some of these activities are free and some are paid but I believe you need to sign up for all of them.
8. Stand Up Paddle Board at Lake Irwin
Lake Irwin is stunning. I had no idea how easy it was to get to from town, yet so secluded at a higher elevation. Even the drive to get there on Kebler Pass felt like an adventure. So many people were hiking here, hanging out in hammocks, chit chatting at their campsites, swimming and stand up paddle boarding. If you want to rent stand up paddle boards you can go to Float Shack and Wheelies and Waves in town. You can even do a guided stand up paddle boarding experience.
9. Wander Elk Avenue
I wrote a similar blog post about things to do in the winter so this one is kind of repetitive. Here’s the thing though. Wandering Elk Avenue is a completely different experience in the summer. Personally, I find it much more enjoyable because I prefer to be kissed by the sun than frost bite.
As we have started to get to know the restaurants of Crested Butte better, we have found our favorites. Teocali Tamale is fan-freakin-tastic and has massive burritos so come on an empty stomach. For dinner, we obsess over The Breadery which has such a unique menu that is ever changing by the season.
10. Summer Concerts
Every Monday night the Crested Butte Art Center hosts their free AlpenGlow concerts with a different genre every week.
Mt. Crested Butte also hosts concerts of different genres at the base of the mountain every Wednesday.
11. Rafting
Our fly fishing trip allowed us to go through some rapids which was pretty fun but not the real deal. That’s on my bucket list for our next summer trip. I don’t normally blog about things I haven’t done but I wanted to share these few because there is so much to do in Crested Butte in the summer that we didn’t get the chance to do.
12. Sunday Markets
Every Sunday in the summer there is a big farmers market on Elk Avenue from 9 am to 2pm. It is so lively and has several venders ranging from farms to artists. We loved the lemonade from Big B’s Delicious Orchards, literally every baked good from Mountain Oven Bakery and the skincare products from Gracie’s Farmstead. Seriously, you have to go.
I think that I like Crested Butte better in the summer than I do in the winter so I will most definitely be back. When is your favorite season to travel?
