Run the Elks: Crested Butte’s Best Trail Running Routes

"The trails that have made Crested Butte world-renowned for mountain bikers are also a haven for trail runners," writes CBMountainRunners.org. "From mid-May when the snows are receding through the summer when the wildflowers are breathtaking to the fall as the aspen leaves turn golden, the trails in the area always astound with their beauty."

The web of singletrack trails surrounding Crested Butte is simply massive. Trails run from the valley floor up high into the mountains in every single direction, forming an intricate network that allows runners to either travel a couple of miles, or potentially a hundred! The only limits to the epic routes you can create near Crested Butte are your fitness and your imagination.

The routes chosen for this guidebook provide an excellent sample of the best runs, ranging from super easy (like Lower Loop) to long and arduous (like the Grand Traverse Mountain Run). And if you fall somewhere in between the two, you have no end of options to choose from!