Mountain Tree Scapes

About forestry service, 81224, Crested Butte, CO, US, Colorado

Crested Butte is a home rule town located in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,639 at the 2020 United States census. A former coal mining town nestled in the Slate River Valley, Crested Butte is now known as a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and outdoor activities. == History == The East River Valley where Crested Butte is located was once used as a summer residence by the Ute people. However, they were quickly displaced when European-Americans first entered the area. The first white people to explore the valley were beaver trappers, shortly followed by surveyors. Captain John Gunnison, after whom Gunnison County is named, was one of the early explorers to enter the area. In the 1860s and 1870s coal and silver mines began to open in the surrounding area, and many little mining towns formed. The Crested Butte, Colorado, post office opened on May 26, 1879, and the Town of Crested Butte was incorporated on July 15, 1880. Mining, along with ranching, formed the nexus of the local economy.