Crested Butte, CO, Vacation-Filter:

May 31, 2009 8:13 PM

What are the must-do/see/eat/visit places in Crested Butte, Colorado in July? Yeah, we've googled the heck out of the place, but nothing beats AskMe for travel tips.

We've got a one-week stay planned for two families (three adults and two 7-year old girls). Looking for suggestions that the whole group can do, but also for kid-cool things that the kids can do with one adult while the others trade off and have an adult vacation day doing something else. Car available for day-trips if something neat is close by that you'd recommend. Also need info about local eateries, watering holes and such.

posted by webhund to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Crested Butte is beautiful. Really gorgeous scenery and varied terrain.

First, some warnings: Depending on where you're staying, you'll be over 9,000 ft above sealevel and possibly much higher. Your profile says you're from Iowa, so I'm guessing you're much lower. Take your first day easy and get acclimated. Aside from the risk of altitude sickness, drink a lot of water; it's easy to get dehydrated above 8,000 ft or so. I've managed dehydration and altitude sickness as a teen and it's pure misery. If you go out hiking as a group, consider leaving an itinerary with your host just in case. Load up on sunscreen and floppy hats, too. You'll burn easier up high. If you think you'll be out for even a little while after dark, take a jacket or two. When the sun goes down, it gets cold very fast.

OK. There are amazing "Sounds of Music" quality meadows full of wildflowers all over the place. Hiking and nature walks are a great half day picnic. I've done the Beaver Lake with my family a few years ago, and it wasn't too hard for the kids but was still really engaging. Here's a nice list of trails. Peanut Lake also sounds like a good choice, although I haven't done it.

There isn't much mining around any more, but it was still central to the region, and there's a lot of mining museums and gold panning operations around. I thought there was a scenic train tour from Crested Butte, but I can't find anything about it. Maybe I'm misremembering from somewhere else, I'm not sure.

You might also be able to go kayaking or tubing. The ski resort has a tubing run for families. I'm not sure about the kayaking skill levels up there, or if it's appropriate for your kids.
posted by boo_radley at 9:33 PM on May 31, 2009

Oh, and depending on how you're coming in, try Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. It's amazing. You can walk, hike, horseride all through the park.
posted by boo_radley at 9:35 PM on May 31, 2009

Go out beyond the towns Crested Butte and then Mt. Crested Butte to the town of Gothic. It's the end of the road there unless you have 4WD, and there's a bunch of scientists out there at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, and there's a trailhead right there, with an easy hike to a nice waterfall. It's cool and pretty just to drive out there.
posted by salvia at 10:31 PM on May 31, 2009

If you want to take a little side-trip south, there's a nice little public park in Gunnison for the girls to run-around and play in.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:08 AM on June 1, 2009

I've eaten at the Slogar Bar & Restaurant and remember enjoying the food and atmosphere. It is family style so the price is fixed and the food is aplenty.
posted by collocation at 9:33 AM on June 1, 2009