Overview
Gunnison is a mountain town in the state of Colorado.
Located in Southwestern Colorado, Gunnison is far from Denver and off the beaten path... unlike many of Colorado’s ski areas located along interstates or major population areas. Gunnison is a bedroom community located about a half hour drive from the Crested Butte Ski Resort.
The valley contains the Victorian towns of Gunnison and Crested Butte.
2 sights · 2 things to do · 3 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Gunnison
Hartman Rocks
Awesome bouldering, rock climbing, and biking
Blue Mesa
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
World-class skiing and snowboarding and cross country skiing on over 30 km of well maintained trails at the Crested Butte Nordic Center.
Rafting Black Canyon of the Gunnison
The Gunnison River runs through this pristine and tightly controlled canyon.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 13°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Sep and Mar. (climate data from nearby Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- GUC Gunnison Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison — 1 mi away. Directions
- ASE Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (Sardy Field), Aspen — 47 mi away. Directions
- COS City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs — 121 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $23–$23 a night (typical $34), from 2 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$70, mid-range ~$110, comfortable ~$190.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Hartman Rocks, Blue Mesa
- Lunch Palisades Restaurant
- Afternoon Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Rafting Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- Dinner Farrell's Restaurant
- Evening Alamo
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
Go Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC)
Provides frequent and convenient jet service, American Airlines, United, and United Express from Dallas, Denver, Houston. Regularly scheduled ground transportation offered by Alpine Express and Mountain Express are available as are car rentals from Dollar, Hertz, Avis, and Budget.
See
See Blue Mesa
Do
Mountain biking, skiing and rafting are great ideas when you are in the area -- one for each season except Fall, try fly-fishing
Eat
Eat Palisades Restaurant
Family restaurant with a western theme and great food. Large kids menu and full bar with 9 TVs for sports and buzztime trivia. Plenty of parking and free Wi-Fi.
Eat Farrell's Restaurant
The beautiful outdoor patio is a pleasant place to eat lunch in the spring and summer months.
Eat Twisted Fork Bistro
Asian-influenced American food. Made from scratch, delicious food.
Drink
Crested Butte and Gunnison are both good pub-crawl candidates.
Drink Alamo
The dive bar of the valley.
- Tributary Coffee Roasters 120 N Main St. Daily 7AM - 4PM.
Sleep
Go next
Nearby
Curecanti National Recreation Area
Park · 1 listings · 22 mi away
Crested Butte
City / town · 7 listings · 23 mi away
Paonia
City / town · 43 listings · 42 mi away
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Park · 5 listings · 43 mi away
Aspen
City / town · 47 listings · 45 mi away
Poncha Springs
City / town · 20 listings · 46 mi away
Hotchkiss
City / town · 41 listings · 46 mi away
Redstone
City / town · 15 listings · 47 mi away
My experience
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