The Gunnison Valley is a small and diverse community nestled within the Rocky Mountains—made up of the city of Gunnison, the ski town of Crested Butte and surrounding areas. Our nearly 16,000 residents range from academics to entrepreneurs and ranchers to engineers. But we all share one common thread. We love the outdoors.
Climate
Due to our location in the mountains, Gunnison winters call for low temperatures and moderate snowfall. Winters usually extend into the month of April, offering an average of 50 inches in snowfall each season. Just up the road in Crested Butte, however, the ski area can receive more than 250 inches of snow, offering Gunnison residents the best of both worlds. When summer arrives, we take advantage of 70 degree days and over 300 days of sunshine year round. Being that Crested Butte is the wildflower capital of Colorado, visitors and locals alike enjoy the annual Crested Butte Wildflower festival during summer season when the whole valley is blooming.
Recreation
The Gunnison Valley offers endless recreation. During winter, residents enjoy world-class skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort to the north and Monarch Mountain to the east. They also snowmobile, dog sled, and ice fish on Colorado’s largest body of water, Blue Mesa Reservoir. When summer arrives, you’ll find people hiking 14,000 foot peaks, mountain biking (Crested Butte is a birth place of mountain biking), angling in our Gold Medal waters, or enjoying live, outdoor music at renowned music festivals.
History
Gunnison is a place that evokes memories of the Old West. Our community retains its ties to a century of ranching with wide open spaces, unpretentious residents and Cattlemen's Days—one of the oldest rodeos in Colorado. We're also home to Western Colorado State University, which has been educating students since 1901.
Learn More about Gunnison
Gunnison Chamber of Commerce
Gunnison Watershed School District
Gunnison Crested Butte Tourism Association
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce
Monarch Mountain
-
