Gothic Valley Golden Hour

Hike Through a Sea of Wildflowers in Idyllic Crested Butte

Crested Butte claims to be Colorado's Wildflower Capital... and after one trip here you'll see why!

Hiking Easy, Moderate, Difficult, Severe

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Gothic Valley Golden Hour
Gothic Valley Golden Hour Photo: Brendan Bombaci

Description

Crested Butte isn’t close to… well, really anything else. As you drive north from Gunnison, the paved highway winds up a beautiful valley, with the mountains getting progressively taller and more majestic along the way. And suddenly—you’re in the town of Crested Butte, surrounded by soaring mountain peaks on all sides! The paved road continues a little further up to the resort, but then the pavement simply ends. From here, you’ll only find dirt roads heading further up and into the mountains.

Dirt roads... and hundreds upon hundreds of miles of fantastic trails!

Thanks to the remoteness of this entire region, it’s easy to reach a middle-of-nowhere feeling within minutes of stepping on one of the hundreds of hiking trails. These trails provide access to stunning alpine peaks, deep aspen groves with golden leaves in the fall, tumbling waterfalls, and the wide-open meadows filled with wildflowers that Crested Butte is famous for.

Whatever type of hiking you enjoy, you’re guaranteed to find your next favorite hike here in Crested Butte!

Routes included

Green Lake Out-and-Back

Green Lake Out-and-Back

A steep climb directly from downtown Crested Butte leads to a scenic alpine lake.

Difficult Hiking

Distance
15 km
Ascent
584 m
Descent
584 m

Lower Loop

Lower Loop

A flat, easy, but incredibly scenic hike directly from downtown Crested Butte.

Easy Hiking

Distance
12 km
Ascent
200 m
Descent
200 m

Mount Crested Butte

Mount Crested Butte

A $20 chairlift ride and a quick 0.75-mile hike will get you to this epic mountain summit.

Severe Hiking

Distance
2.4 km
Ascent
247 m
Descent
247 m

Snodgrass

Snodgrass

Hike through a stunning aspen grove and beautiful meadows.

Moderate Hiking

Distance
9.2 km
Ascent
258 m
Descent
258 m

Trail 403 Short Hike

Trail 403 Short Hike

One of the best bang-for-your-buck alpine hikes in Colorado.

Moderate Hiking

Distance
5.1 km
Ascent
178 m
Descent
178 m

Rustler Gulch

Rustler Gulch

One of the most spectacular wildflower hikes in Crested Butte!

Moderate Hiking

Distance
15 km
Ascent
578 m
Descent
578 m

Judd Falls

Judd Falls

One of the most popular, easy hikes in Crested Butte.

Moderate Hiking

Distance
3.2 km
Ascent
130 m
Descent
130 m

Gothic Mountain

Gothic Mountain

Difficult hike to the summit of one of the most iconic mountains in the region.

Severe Hiking

Distance
11 km
Ascent
1 km
Descent
1 km

Teocalli Ridge Loop

Teocalli Ridge Loop

A scenic loop route on the Crested Butte classic Teocalli Ridge.

Difficult Hiking

Distance
19 km
Ascent
730 m
Descent
730 m

Scarp Ridge -> Mount Emmons

Scarp Ridge -> Mount Emmons

Traverse a stunning alpine ridge to reach the summit of 12,401-foot Mount Emmons, the Red Lady.

Difficult Hiking

Distance
17 km
Ascent
1 km
Descent
1 km

Horse Ranch Park

Horse Ranch Park

One of the best fall color hikes in Crested Butte.

Moderate Hiking

Distance
8.8 km
Ascent
470 m
Descent
470 m

Scarp Ridge Out-and-Back

Scarp Ridge Out-and-Back

A stunning hike into the alpine along a knife-edge mountain ridge.

Difficult Hiking

Distance
7.9 km
Ascent
630 m
Descent
630 m
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Related guidebooks

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