COME TO LIFE / Must-See Colorado Towns: Gunnison & Crested Butte MUST-SEE COLORADO TOWNS: GUNNISON & CRESTED BUTTE T WINTER FUN Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Monarch Moun-tain Ski and Snowboard Area offer amazing skiing and snowboarding. There’s also peaceful snowshoe/ cross-country ski treks, miles and miles of snowmobiling trails, ice fishing, tubing and dog sledding. the reservoir — Colorado’s largest body of water — is full of canoes, sailboats, pontoon and motor boats, and people water-skiing, fishing and even parasailing in the refreshing water. Among Gunnison’s newest attractions is a manmade 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. Head to Gunnison, home to West-ern State Colorado University, to wander its easy downtown. Pop into boutiques or take in the Pioneer Museum ’s mineral exhibit and awesome collection of an-tique cars. The new Double Shot Cyclery is a delightful combo bike shop and coffee house. COLORADO If Gunnison is the quintessential Western rodeo town, then Crested Butte is its free-spirited mountain neighbor. Despite their different vibes and activities, both offer unparalleled adventures and spectacular scenery. Around here, the night sky twinkles with stars. View them up close at the Gunnison Valley Observatory . The state’s largest research-quality telescope is open Friday and Saturday nights mid-June through September. And the Black Canyon was designated an International Dark Sky Park for its exceptional opportunity to enjoy the night sky without light pollution. 1 DAY 2 Drive 30 miles north from Gunnison’s scrubby mesas to Crested Butte’s granite peaks. In the 1880s, the town was a supply stop for nearby coal mines. But these days, it is known as an adventure-sports capital and the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. The area is awash in lupine, columbine, queens crown and paintbrush from June through early September. Hike the 3.4-mile 2 STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Almont (page 196), Crested Butte (page 200), Gunnison (page 206) CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: CRESTED BUTTE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, NATHAN BILOW; BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK, JASON LEWANDOWSKI; NEAR CRESTED BUTTE, KENNAN HARVEY; CURECANTI NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, LAURENCE PARENT. DAY 1 Start west of Gunnison, where the valley drops away into the Cure-canti National Recreation Area , Blue Mesa Reservoir (4) and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (2) . In the summer, 3 4 QUICK TIP 182 / What’s the “W” on that mountain for, you ask? Each year, Gunnison’s Tenderfoot Mountain , known by many as W Mountain, is painted with a white “W” in honor of Western State Colorado University’s homecoming festivities. COLORADO.COM
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2017: Page 182
