Crested Butte Area Drainages Move to Designated Camping

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The U.S. Forest Service in coordination with the Gunnison County Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee (STOR) will transition camping offerings in Crested Butte area to create a better user experience and steward the land. Starting in the summer of 2021, the Slate River and Washington Gulch drainages outside of Crested Butte will be moved to designated camping only. Soon after, in the middle of summer, Kebler Pass and Brush Creek will also be moved to designated camping. The Cement Creek and Gothic drainages will follow in late 2021 or early 2022.

As the upper Gunnison Valley continues to see increased use, the STOR committee decided to take action to steward the public lands so that they can be enjoyed for generations to come. The STOR committee is a collaboration across jurisdictional lines and nonprofit and public sectors and includes representatives from the municipalities, trails organizations, user groups, and land managers in the Gunnison Valley. This project was proposed by the STOR committee and approved by the Forest Service.

The project will be funded through a $150,000 grant awarded by Great Outdoors Colorado and $150,000 matching from the Forest Service. The Gunnison County Stewardship Fund is also contributing funding to the project through grants to the Crested Butte Conservation Corps (CBCC). The CBCC is working alongside the Forest Service and STOR to install designated camping sites, kiosks, toilets, site posts, a parking spot, and fire rings. As these amenities are added, the goal is to transition to an online reservation system by summer of 2022 that will include a fee. While this new management approach will take a bit of adjustment, in the long run it will improve the user experience and protect the resource. For more information, please visit the Forest Service’s website.

Camping Updates

For the most up-to-date information and maps on camping near Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte, visit Crested Butte Mountain Biking Association’s website.

CAMPING INFO