Easily accessible from town, Long Lake has been a favorite recreation spot for generations. In February 2020, the Crested Butte Land Trust completed a land exchange that protected 120 acres on the lake’s northern shore. This project ensured public access to the lake, added 630 acres to the Gunnison National Forest near the Fossil Ridge Wilderness area, and generated $2.6 million for affordable housing projects in Gunnison County. Building on this success, in October 2025, the Land Trust expanded its footprint at Long Lake with the acquisition of an adjacent 14-acre parcel. Together, these projects ensure continued public access to one of Crested Butte’s most beloved recreation spots and protect vital habitat along the lakeshore for generations to come.
Long Lake, officially named Meridian Lake, is a vestige of the Gunnison Valley’s glacial past. This natural lake is located just 2 miles as the crow flies from the Town of Crested Butte and was formed during the last ice age when glaciers traveled down the Slate River, Oh Be Joyful Creek, and Washington Gulch drainages. The glacier that formed in Oh Be Joyful Creek pressed into the Slate River glacier to create a prominent moraine ridge between the Slate River and Washington Gulch. This ridge slumped once the glaciers receded and created Long Lake. With no springs or streams feeding the lake, it is recharged by annual snowmelt from its small watershed.
One half of the lakeshore is owned by the Allen Ranch, a multi-generational family operation which has generously provided access for the recreating public. The other half of the lakeshore was a 120-acre island of Gunnison National Forest surrounded by private property. In the early 2000s, this National Forest property was proposed to fund the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act via public auction. This idea was met with local outcry that Long Lake was too important to give up. The 120-acre property sits adjacent to 1,000 acres of conserved open space, provides critical big game habitat, and is an important corridor for ranching in the Slate River and Washington Gulch drainages.
Fast forward to 2016, and divesting public lands was again in the spotlight. Having heard the public sentiment to save Long Lake, the Crested Butte Land Trust negotiated with the Gunnison National Forest for the protection of Long Lake.
Protecting these 120 acres on Long Lake required private property of equal value be traded to the Gunnison National Forest. The Forest Service had been in ongoing negotiations with the Trust for Public Land to acquire a 614-acre inholding adjacent to the Fossil Ridge Wilderness. The Land Trust agreed to purchase the Fossil Ridge property which equaled the value of Long Lake when combined with the Land Trust’s Copley Lake parcel. This meant the Land Trust needed to raise the full purchase price of Fossil Ridge in order to protect Long Lake.
The purchase price for Fossil Ridge would be the Land Trust’s largest purchase to date, $2.9 million, but this property came with big opportunities. This acreage was donated to the Gunnison National Forest by long time locals Judy and Butch Clark, with the stipulation that the proceeds of this public land conservation be designated to the Valley Housing Fund (VHF). VHF partners with local municipalities to fund affordable housing developments throughout the Gunnison Valley. This funding mechanism gave conservation supporters and community development advocates a shared purpose.
Through the 18-month-long campaign, the Land Trust and the Valley Housing Fund collaborated in grant proposals and fundraising efforts. Locals concerned about affordable housing rallied to purchase ski chairs from Vail Resorts to support the effort, and local municipalities that did not have a stake in the future of Long Lake stepped up to help fund the project.
Since acquiring the southern shore parcels at Long Lake, the Land Trust has ensured public access to Long Lake will remain intact forever and has taken on responsibility for caring for this beloved area. To this end, the Land Trust formed a coalition of community partners engaged in planning and implementing tools to manage recreation at Long Lake.
Maintenance work is completed by the Land Trust and partners every year, including improvements to trail placement and signage as well as active mitigation of human-caused erosion from numerous social trails on steep hillsides. In 2023, the Land Trust completed the new Lily Trail in partnership with the Adaptive Sports Center and the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association. This mile-long trail is wide enough for handcycles and provides sustainable lake access for the public.
The future of Long Lake includes accessible trail design, clear signage, and a more natural and better-maintained resource for all to enjoy. We are grateful to everyone who helped save Long Lake, and we look forward to continuing to care for this community treasure for generations to come!
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