Crested Butte Trails

xavier fane

Lower Loop

Comprised of 193 acres, the Lower Loop Parcel provides a 5-mile hiking, biking and equestrian trail that entertains over 500 users on a busy summer day. The Crested Butte Land Trust won an Award for Excellence for the Lower Loop project from the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts. The trail begins in the Town of Crested Butte, connects with the Woods Walk Trail, and meanders through public lands on its way to Oh-Be-Joyful Creek in the Raggeds Wilderness. The Slate River runs through the property, creating wetlands and wildlife habitat that is home to a diverse community of plants, mammals, birds and fish. The views of Paradise Divide and Crested Butte Mountain are unsurpassed. In winter months, the Crested Butte Nordic Council sets track for skiers and snowshoers. Enjoy the newest winter trail on the old rail grade out to the Gunsight Bridge Parcel. Called “Mike’s Mile,” this new trail is in honor of Mike Martin, a Crested Butte local who was passionate about trails and the great outdoors.

Budd Trail

The Budd Trail was donated to the land trust by Russell and Dorothy Budd and Charlie McBride in 2009, and connects the Lower Loop Trail System. It begins at Peanut Mine, and will thrill cyclists, runners and hikers with a steep climb up the ridge to the west of the Lower Loop. Winding its way through aspen and spruce forests, the new single track trail offers spectacular views of the Slate River Valley below.

Woods Walk

beth carter

The Woods Walk Trail provides year round access to nature just steps from the Town of Crested Butte. Lined with aspens, the Woods Walk, a popular path between Kebler Pass and the Lower Loop, made possible by the generosity of private landowners, is lush with wildlife and wildflowers. Wildly popular, hundreds of hikers, bikers, and birders use the trail during the summer, while Nordic skiers and snowshoers enjoy the trail during the winter. This moderate level trail, which connects to the Land Trust’s Lower Loop Trail system, can be accessed directly from town or from Kebler Road.

The Land Trust thanks the Trappers Crossing landowners for their generous donations of trail easements. It is because of their commitment and dedication to public recreation that families and children are able to enjoy this pristine trail.

Riverbend Trail

Thanks to the generosity of the Riverbend Homeowners Association, and with the collaboration of the Colorado Department of Transportation, the heavily used Riverbend Trail (2007) adjacent to the West Elk Scenic Byway allows bikers and hikers to travel safely without using the busy highway. This trail connects with the Deli Trail and the Town of Crested Butte to the northwest, and the miles of quality trails up the Brush Creek drainage to the southeast. The trail is 1,600 feet long and the easement encompasses 9.12 acres.

Recreation Path (Robinson Parcel)

The 10-foot wide paved Recreation Path connects the two towns of Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. The 3-mile long trail winds through hay meadows and wetlands along Washington Gulch. Bikers, walkers and runners enjoy the trail May through November, while Nordic Skiers use the trail during the winter months. Interpretive signs along the path provide information about the area and its history. The trail provides a safer alternative to the busy Gothic Road. In 1994, the Town of Mt. Crested Butte received the right-of-way to construct the trail. During 1995 and 1996, the town constructed the trail with help from ISTEA, a federal funding program for road enhancements, and local contributions. One generous local contributor made two contributions totaling $200,000. Thank you!

The trail travels through the Land Trust’s 131 acre Robinson Parcel. The Robinson Parcel is a significant greenway between the two towns. The Robinson Parcel provides land for agriculture use, a recreational trail, and wildlife habitat. The parcel has been used for agriculture since the 1890s. The parcel includes 4,000 linear feet of Washington Gulch, a stream corridor, and a 45-acre natural wetland associated with the stream. This stream corridor connects the Slate River wetlands with the upper Washington Gulch valley and associated mountains including Snodgrass Mountain and Gothic Mountain in the National Forest. By preserving the Robinson Parcel, the stage is set to create a wildlife corridor between the National Forest, at the north end of the Allen Parcel, and the Slate River wetlands through the Robinson, Allen, Kapushion and Moon Ridge Subdivision Parcels,

Another trail is called for on the Robinson Parcel in the Crested Butte Land Use Plan. It begins at about the half-way point on the trail and it connects the Robinson Parcel with Skyland Subdivision and the existing Upper Loop Trail.

Trappers Crossing Nordic Trails

Nordic skiers can access an extensive Nordic Trail system within town limits via the Trappers Crossing Nordic Trails along the “bench” in the south side of town. In 2006,  several visionary landowners donated trail easements that are part of the Nordic trail system.