Crested Butte is an amazing Colorado location to witness aspen fall foliage. The small ski town, dramatic mountains, deep blue skies, and huge yellow-orange aspen groves are quintessential Colorado. From Leadville, it was about a 1.5-hour drive to Crested Butte.
Crested Butte, Colorado
It got its start in coal and silver mining. Later, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, wildflowers, and fall aspens became the main attractions. Incorporated in 1880, less than 1,700 people live here. Although not as pretentious as Aspen, Vail, Telluride or Breckenridge, Crested Butte is expensive and not far behind the others.
The Public House was busy, but the staff and outdoor patio were great. Jake was able to sit with us.
Lunch at the Secret Stash was okay at best. Service was terrible, music was too loud, yet it was packed.
Crested Butte RV Resort
Well, it is not a resort. We had 50-amp electric and good water pressure. There was no sewer, not even a dump station. We had to go to the Crested Butte City wastewater station and pay to use theirs on the way out of town. They only had 2 showers, one for men and one for women but they were clean. No laundry, no office. Their internet was down most of the time. They didn’t even have a dog park, yet charged for a dog. Basically, no amenities, but they charge resort rates.
Even though Verizon had a strong signal, the data was extremely limited. Frequently we couldn’t even get maps to work or make a phone call. The owners never met anyone in person, only texted. They were the only option in town other than dry camping.
The RV park seemed to attract Airstreams. Frequently there were 5-6 there. It was nice talking to other owners without going to a rally.
Kebler Pass, Crested Butte
Kebler Pass is mostly a gravel road that is closed in the winter that reaches an elevation of about 10,000 feet.
The nice part is the incredible number of aspen groves.
It is leaf peeper season, so there were an incredible number of people on the road. So many, the dust from the vehicles made it difficult to get photos without venturing into the aspen groves to get away from the dirt roads.
Lost Lake was scenic.
Ohio Pass
From Kebler Pass Road there is Ohio Pass Road which heads south towards the town of Gunnison.
It is also very scenic with aspen everywhere.
We came across old farmhouses.
Schofield Pass
North of Crested Butte beyond the ski area is Schofield Pass. It is a gravel road that progressively gets narrow and difficult. The jeep could have handled it, but we didn’t want to risk scratching the truck.
We eventually turned around. The views were once again stunning. We saw a couple of elk in the distance. In the past we’ve seen a huge herd up close in the area, but it was hunting season and elk were hard to find.
Cottonwood Pass-Taylor Park
Cottonwood Pass is a paved road the crosses the Continental Divide and connects Buena Vista, Colorado to Gunnison. The summit is at 12,126 feet.
Near the summit there was a female moose and her calf.
Along the way there were deer.
Taylor Park is an incredible area. The lake is a reservoir, damming the Taylor River. Moose are frequently seen. Dry camping is the main option although there are some electric hookups. There are miles of ATV trails. In 1860 James Taylor dipped his tin drinking cup into the river and found gold. Since then, the area has been referred to as “Tincup”.
