Crested Butte Webcam – Watch Downtown Elk Avenue

The Crested Butte Webcam watches downtown Elk Avenue from two shopfronts in this former coal town in western Colorado. The main camera looks down from the Signature Properties building at 326 Elk Avenue, across the street to a red house with white trim, a row of storefronts and parked cars, with Mount Crested Butte rising on the right and snow-dusted ridges behind the rooftops. The second tab comes from the porch of Chopwood Mercantile at 120 Elk Avenue and looks east along the road toward the same peak. Shadows from the south side of the street reach across the pavement on a clear morning, and pickups and SUVs come and go outside the shops. The snow line on the high ridges moves with the season, so the same frame looks very different from one month to the next.

About Crested Butte

Crested Butte sits on the west side of the Slate River valley, along Coal Creek, in north-central Gunnison County. Colorado State Highway 135 runs 43 kilometers (27 miles) south to Gunnison, the county seat. Published elevation figures differ slightly, but the town stands at roughly 2,710 meters (8,900 feet). The 2020 census counted 1,639 residents.

The post office opened in 1879 and the town was incorporated on July 15, 1880, serving the coal and silver mines in the surrounding hills. Its role as a supply town helped it outlast many mining camps when silver declined, but it shrank once the coal mines closed, and the local high school graduated its last class for decades in 1965. The Old Town Hall, built in 1883, survives from those years.

Recovery came with skiing. A ski area was built in the 1960s on the former Malensek Ranch, in what is now the neighboring community of Mt. Crested Butte, and tourism rebuilt the local economy. In 1990 the Colorado General Assembly named Crested Butte the Wildflower Capital of Colorado.

Weather and Climate in Crested Butte

Winter is long and very cold at this altitude. January highs average -3°C (26°F) and lows fall to about -21°C (-6°F), according to NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual snowfall averages 516 centimeters (203 inches), so the parked cars on these cameras can spend much of the season beside plowed snow. April is still a thaw month, with highs near 8°C (47°F) and lows around -7°C (19°F), and bare pavement can alternate with fresh snow.

July highs reach about 24°C (76°F), but nights stay cold, with lows around 4°C (40°F). Clear mornings show the peak sharply against the sky. October brings highs near 12°C (54°F) and lows of about -6°C (22°F). Late in the month the main camera can catch yellow leaves on the last trees to turn while snow settles on the ridges behind the town.

Things to Do Near Crested Butte

Crested Butte Mountain Resort, the ski area that revived the town, opened in 1960 and is now owned by Vail Resorts. Its base stands at 2,858 meters (9,375 feet) and its top elevation is 3,707 meters (12,162 feet). In town, the Crested Butte Nordic center has cross-country ski trails and an ice rink. Rainbow Park is in the western section of town, and the Crested Butte Land Trust manages several hiking trails in the area.

Gunnison County Road 12 leaves town to the west for Kebler Pass, at 3,050 meters (10,007 feet) in the West Elk Mountains. It is mostly gravel, open to passenger cars in summer and closed in winter. About 10 kilometers (6 miles) north in a straight line, the ghost town of Gothic is home to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, at about 2,900 meters (9,500 feet). The town’s calendar runs through the year, with the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival and the Festival of the Arts in summer, Vinotok in fall and Flauschink in spring.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

These cameras cover nearby Gothic and two other Colorado mountain towns.

• Gothic Webcam
• Telluride Webcam
• Nederland Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on the Crested Butte Webcam?

The main camera looks across downtown Elk Avenue to a red house, a row of storefronts and parked cars, with Mount Crested Butte on the right and snow-capped ridges behind the roofs. The Chopwood Mercantile tab looks east along the avenue, past two- and three-story storefronts, toward the same peak, with the shop’s porch and hanging sign in the foreground.

Does the Crested Butte Webcam show the ski slopes?

No. Both cameras are on Elk Avenue in the town, and neither is aimed at the runs, lifts or base area of Crested Butte Mountain Resort, which is in the neighboring community of Mt. Crested Butte. The peak is in view, but for snow conditions on the mountain you need the resort’s own cameras. Travel Crested Butte lists base area, snow stake and pow cams on its webcam page, along with its road and airport cameras.

Where is Crested Butte located?

Crested Butte is in Gunnison County in western Colorado, in the Slate River valley. It is 43 kilometers (27 miles) north of Gunnison by Highway 135.

What is the weather like in Crested Butte?

Expect long, snowy winters and short, mild summers. January highs average -3°C (26°F), July highs about 24°C (76°F), and nights stay cool all year, with July lows near 4°C (40°F). Annual snowfall averages 516 centimeters (203 inches).

What is the weather like in Crested Butte in October?

October highs average about 12°C (54°F) and lows about -6°C (22°F). The cameras can show bright, dry days with late color on the trees, and snow is often visible on the higher ridges.

What is the elevation of Crested Butte?

The town stands at roughly 2,710 meters (8,900 feet). The top of the ski area in Mt. Crested Butte reaches 3,707 meters (12,162 feet).

Is the Crested Butte Webcam on at night?

Neither operator publishes hours for these cameras. After dark, expect a dimmer picture that depends on street lighting and shop windows, so the peak and ridges are best watched in daylight. Travel Crested Butte notes that local cameras can lose signal from time to time, usually returning within a day or two.

Source: Signature Properties and Chopwood Mercantile