Located to the southwest of Denver, Crested Butte Mountain is isolated from the larger resorts and far away from interstate highways. It is an anti-glitz resort particularly renowned for its extreme terrain, spectacular scenery, extensive facilities and the historic mining town.

Facilities at the resort include a range of shops, conferencing, and childcare (ages six months to seven years, payable by the hour or day); while the bulk of the services are in nearby Crested Butte. This restored Victorian 19th century mining town is home to Colorado’s largest national historic district and is loaded with elegant buildings.

Crested Butte Mountain ski resort offers two ski in/out hotels and a further 50 hotels, inns, bed-and-breakfasts and condos nearby and mainly in the village. Ballooning and tubing are just a part of the extensive range of off-piste activities, and a huge range of restaurants serving international cuisines, as well as award-winning wine bars, pubs and clubs, provide the family-orientated après-ski.

There are 88 trails at Crested Butte Mountain resort, over a 120-hectare ski domain. There is easy skiing to suit beginners and vast intermediate areas, while experts will revel in the Extreme Limits Area. Fifteen chairlifts provide slope access for more than 19,000 people per hour and run over the entire 900-metre vertical; the longest piste is 4.2kms.

For alternative skiing, the upmarket and world renowned resorts of Aspen are a two-hour drive to the north and boast four ski resorts over some of the finest terrain in the world. Aspen Highlands has some great expert terrain; Buttermilk suits beginners; boarder-free Aspen Mountain boasts tree-lined powder; and Snowmass has a huge vertical drop.

The ski season at Crested Butte Mountain resort runs from mid-November to mid-April, and cheaper tickets are available early on and later in the season. Crested Butte is best reached by flying to Gunnison County Airport and taking the free shuttle bus to the resort.