Crested Butte Elopement Locations
These are a handful of location recommendations for your elopement! I kept in mind keeping hiking to a minimum, though I included a few options that are maybe more hiking-oriented than you envisioned but just to give you an idea of possibilities.
I can’t guarantee any single spot will be bursting with wildflowers on the date we pick but I as we talked about, I will scout locations the day before to ensure we find the best spot for that specific date. Therefore, we can establish a few options that you like best. I can check them out on the 6th to see how they’re looking and report back. If they don’t look up to snuff, I can hit up any other spots to see if they’d be better and we can adjust the plan accordingly. How does that sound?
You’ll also want to decide if you’d like to shoot for around sunrise or sunset. Sunrise will ensure a bit more privacy. And for the case of Emerald Lake, you’d get that lovely alpenglow on the peak. Sunset is of course a little easier to manage though for most people! Take some time to decide what you prefer. Sunrise, which will likely allow you a good amount of privacy but will of course make for a pretty early wake up call. Or sunset, which might be a little busier but won’t disrupt your day too much.
We could even pair a location or two with going into town for a few photos. Or if you do sunset, we could do some getting ready photos at your hotel/rental if you’d like. Options are endless!
Now onto the info!
Crested Butte Town Guide
There are essentially two main sections to Crested Butte. The first one is going to be the main town. It’s got a lovely little main street filled with lots of great restaurants and bars and colorful houses. This part of town is great for just walking around and enjoying the small mountain town feel. It’s a lovely place to stay, IF you can snag a hotel/rental. But it’s often pretty expensive and places are reserved pretty far in advance. Below, I’ll include a few options that, at the moment, look to be have vacancy.
The second part of Crested Butte is going to Mount Crested Butte, just a few minutes up the road from town. This is where the resort is along with a bunch of condos and aparthotels. There are a minimal number of restaurants/coffee shops here. There are a LOT of VRBOs and Airbnb rentals here. I won’t list any (okay I did list two) because there’s simply a ton to choose from. Just be careful of really high hidden fees on VRBO if you go that route!
Places to Eat/Drink:
(not a comprehensive guide, just some of my faves)
Hotels/Rentals to Stay in Town
Crested Butte Hostel (specifically their two separate flats/apartments)
Elopement Locations
Emerald Lake
This is the location I’ve photographed most often. And you can probably see why! It’s a beautiful, alpine lake surrounded by trees, peaks, and greenery. It’s not super lush with wildflowers in early July, but there are some! It is absolutely bursting with green though. But it does require driving on some 4x4 roads to reach this lake and if you’re at all nervous about that, I wouldn’t recommend it. Overall it isn’t too bad but there are a few tough to navigate holes/waterlogged areas and a few tight squeezes along cliffs. I’ve been able to do it on my own in a Jeep Cherokee but I do have a little experience with 4x4 roads just from all the backcountry scouting and hiking I do. Past clients have navigated the road in a Subaru Crosstrek and other clients rented a Jeep Wrangler in town. But anyway, it’s a lovely location if you’re up for the adventure! Here’s an elopement I photographed here in early August one year at sunrise.
And here’s a photo from a sunrise engagement session on July 11th of last year:
Lupine Trail
This is a random spot found along a hiking trail. If we time it right, we could be there when the lupine (these blue/purple flowers) are peaking. It’s essentially a beautiful meadow not too far from the road. It required a little walking/hiking (you can see it in one photo) but nothing too strenuous. It would pair well with another meadow or river spot along Road 734 or Peanut Lake. These photos were taken at/just before sunrise in the beginning of July a handful of years ago.
Notice the dirt road near the pond in the background. That’s essentially where you park, in a small dirt lot.
View from the opposite direction of the photo above this.
Paradise Basin
Another spot that requires 4x4 driving (it’s relatively close to Emerald Lake; about 15 minutes) but it’s truly just such a beautiful landscape! Again, this area isn’t bursting with wildflowers in early July but it’s so green and breathtaking. Picture just open, alpine meadow and views galore. There’s a little lake/pond too. It’s a good addition to Emerald Lake. Photos below are from the engagement session last July, in the morning.
Meridian Lake
This would be one of those spots that would require a little more hiking; but not a ton! It’s a long, narrow lake right near town. It’s hidden in a hill, sort of like a crater. It requires either about 1 mile of walking up a relatively easy, service road OR a short but pretty strenuous .25 mile uphill climb along along a smaller trail. I’ve only done the longer, easier walk so can’t speak to the shorter one. But I’d be happy to check it out to see if it would be feasible to if you’re interested/want to do this but don’t want to walk a mile. This spot might be best by itself OR could potentially be coupled with a meadow along Washington Gulch Road. You can see more about this location here: CLICK HERE
Here’s an image taken on my phone; taken in early August:
Washington Gulch Road
This is one of the most popular roads in Crested Butte. It leads away from town into the hills and then further into the mountains. It’s a dirt road, relatively easy to navigate but with a few dicey moments as you get further into the mountains. Again, would recommend a vehicle with 4x4 capabilities if you wanted to go further in. This is essentially a stretch of locations where we could get out a couple times depending on what we like. It’s mostly meadow for a handful of miles, with pull-offs for car camping so relatively easy to stop and take a few photos here and there. But then there’s a specific area I liked when I drove through a few years ago. It’s close to the start of the 403 Trailhead, so there’s a dirt parking lot to stop at. We could walk this trail a little bit—here’s what’s said about it: “It's a relatively easy start on local favorite 403, which sees a good number of mountain bikers in the summer. Wildflowers flourish all along this path as well.” And just generally explore the area!
Here’s an image I took of the area from my car:
Gothic Road
Another of the popular backcountry roads through Crested Butte and into the surrounding mountains. This road leads from town into Mount Crested Butte and then into the backcountry. Emerald Lake is off this road. But closer to town, there are a few hikes/pull-offs to enjoy some of the hillside. These spots are right near Mount Crested Butte and they’re super easy to get to, so they’ll likely be on the busier side. But they are usually lush with wildflowers. This could be paired with Emerald Lake.
One spot is a relatively easy hike. It’s starts at Snodgrass Trailhead/Teddy’s Trail. I’ve yet to do this hike but I’ve read good things. We wouldn’t need to do the entire hike, perhaps just .5 a mile or so to enjoy all the views? And the nice thing is, since it’s a hike, we can find different parts to stop at to get away from people if need be. Here’s what the web says about this trail:
“Follow the dirt road as it quickly ascends the hillside, providing wide vistas every look back. Wildflowers flourish here in the summertime. Pass a dilapidated cabin on your right side as you get closer to the aspens. Enjoy views of the Gothic valley as Teddy's wraps around hillsides draped with wildflowers.”
Here’s the webpage on this hike: CLICK HERE
Image taken from Travel Crested Butte
I think that’s a good place to start! Let me know what you think and if you have any questions about these locations, the town, or anything at all!
Wildflower Engagement Session Locations
These are a handful of location recommendations for your engagement session! I kept in mind keeping hiking to a minimum, though I included a few options that are maybe more hiking-oriented than you envisioned but just to give you an idea of possibilities.
I can’t guarantee any single spot will be bursting with wildflowers on the date we pick but I do scout locations (even locations I’ve been to many times) about a week or so before a shoot to make sure everything is good so I’ll keep you two abreast of conditions just before the shoot.
In the case of a place like Crested Butte, which is further away, I’ll include a few specific locations but I would be scouting them out the day before to see how the wildflower situation is and let you two know if we might want to adjust location plans. Does that makes sense? Everything is fairly close in CB so I don’t have a problem doing this!
Crested Butte
Emerald Lake
This actually seemed to have more wildflowers in August than it did in early July (though it was beautifully green all around and there were definitely some flowers!!) but it’s breathtaking either way. It does require driving on some 4x4 roads to reach this lake and if you’re at all nervous about that, I wouldn’t recommend it. I was able to do it on my own in a Jeep Cherokee and I’m no expert but I do have a little experience with 4x4 roads just from all the backcountry scouting and hiking I do. But anyway, it’s a lovely location if you’re up for the adventure! Here’s an elopement I photographed here in early August one year at sunrise:
And here is a phone photo from when I scouted the location in early July:
Emerald Lake in early July
Meadows close to town
I stumbled upon this spot while hiking in the area. This beautiful blanket of lupines were found off a random trail in a meadow not too far from town. They required a little walk from the dirt road (you can see it in one photo) but nothing too strenuous. These photos were taken at/just before sunrise in the beginning of July a handful of years ago.
Field of lupines
See the dirt road and a small pond in the distance
Paradise Divide Basin
Another spot that requires some 4x4 driving (it’s relatively close to Emerald Lake) but it’s truly just such a beautiful landscape! Again, this area wasn’t bursting with wildflowers last time I visited during early July but it was so green and breathtaking. Picture just open mountain meadows and views galore. There’s a little lake too. See some photos from my phone:
Closer to Denver (than CB at least!)
Guanella Pass
As much or as little hiking as you’d like, Guanella is pretty stunning just about wherever you go along the pass. This is alpine tundra environment, so the flowers are small but they’re beautiful. For something that wouldn’t require much hiking, the top of the pass would most likely be our destination. You’d get really great views of Mount Bierstadt and the surrounding mountains.
Here’s a shoot I did in September a few years back (so keep that in mind, it’s way more green in the summer) but it’ll give you an idea of the landscape.
And here are some phone photos from hikes I’ve done off Guanella Pass in the early summer (early to late July) to give you an idea of the color/flowers (though to be clear some of these are from hikes so the views themselves wouldn’t be the same unless you’re up for some hiking!):
Views of wildflowers from a hike off Guanella Pass in early July
Beginning of a hike off Guanella Pass in late July
Lower Cataract Lake north of Silverthorne
I’ve actually never been here but it’s been on my map for a couple years. I’ve heard good things about it. It sounds like though there’s a little bit of hiking around the lake there isn’t much elevation gain so it wouldn’t be a strenuous location. I don’t have much to share since I haven’t been but here’s an article about it.
If you have an Alltrails account you can look through photos from July of previous years and see it looks best in early/mid July.
Mayflower Gulch
This is one of those locations that is definitely a hike. It’s not a terribly long one (just under two miles to the location) but it can feel a bit strenuous as it is up hill (and a little steep) the entire way. And at a high elevation. I’d say it takes about 45 minutes to get up to this open meadow. It’s pretty amazing if you are up for it! You’re right up next to these beautiful jagged peaks and there’s a few old mining cabins. Best at sunrise I would say. It can still be snow covered in July so likely best in August. Here are some phone photos from an early August visit years ago:
Shrine Ridge OR Corral Creek
These are both trails off Vail Pass. They do require hiking. Shrine Ridge isn’t a terribly difficult hike; about 2.25 miles to the top. But it is known for its wildflowers! It’s a combination of pine forest and open meadows with an alpine tundra at the top that provides amazing views of the surrounding peaks. We wouldn’t necessarily have to go to the top, though I think the views are worth it. But there’s usually lots of lovely patches of wildflowers along the trail. Pretty much same goes for Corral Creek (hence why I’m putting them together). It would actually be less hiking than Shrine Ridge most likely as I’m thinking of one specific spot on this hike that comes to a meadow about half a mile or so from the trailhead. Here are some photos from past hikes I’ve completed at these locations:
Shrine Ridge in late June
Shrine Ridge in late June
Top of Shrine Ridge in early August
Corral Creek in late July
Corral Creek in late July
Front Range
Totally throwing you for a loop here with this one but I was just thinking about it this week and how excited I am for it to be green again so figured I’d include it just in case!
Flatirons Vista in Boulder
This is out of left field because this actually wouldn’t be the best option for July or August. It would be best in late May or early June. But it’s a lovely open area with pretty easy walking/hiking (nothing long) and has beautiful views of the Flatirons. And it’s so GREEEEN. Also gets a variety of beautiful wildflowers of all colors. Here are some photos from an early June hike at this trailhead:
Caitlin + Chris Elopement Location Ideas
In no particular order! Here are some location ideas for your elopement. I’ve organized things by towns or exact locations. So feel free to decided on a town and then we can get more specific as we continue planning, or if a particular spot speaks to you right away, that works too! If nothing here is to your liking or you want more options, I’m happy to come up with more.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Black Canyon is BREATHTAKING. This is such a unique spot and an absolutely amazing place for an elopement, as long as you aren’t afraid of heights! This is less hiking and more driving around from viewpoint to viewpoint but you can walk at the viewpoints and explore a bit, some more than others. I don’t normally recommend national parks because they’re usually really busy and there are places just as beautiful all around the state of Colorado, but Black Canyon is not a very busy park at all and it’s so unique, you won’t find any place like this in Colorado. The closest town is Montrose. This is all in the Western Slope of Colorado, which abounds in wineries interestingly enough! Here’s a blog post with the first half of the photos being from Black Canyon.
Silverton
Silverton truly feels like going back in time. It’s a western town through and through. It’s tucked into the San Juan Mountains, some of the most jaw-dropping mountains in Colorado, in my opinion! Silverton has so many gorgeous spots for photos. This would be a good place for smaller hikes/short walks and possibly driving to multiple locations. There’s a bunch of winding mountain passes to drive and explore. Some require 4x4, so renting a Jeep or something of the sort would be a great option to get as much out of the area, but it’s not absolutely necessary. The Wyman Hotel is a really neat boutique hotel in town that I think you’d really like!
Here are a few hikes/locations of note:
Clear Lake (blue waters that don’t take a big hike to get to! Rare!)
And some phone photos/video I’ve taken to give you a better idea of Silverton and its surrounding area:
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is such a dreamy mountain town. This is the first place I think of if I want to wow out-of-staters. The town is lovely with its colorful western storefronts and homes. Everywhere you look is a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. There are plenty of hikes to choose from in Crested Butte. And like I’ve previously mentioned, the town does in fact have a tattoo parlor or two! Here’s a beautiful little boutique hotel I recommend.
And some hikes, though there’s plenty more!:
And that blog post I shared above also contains images from Crested Butte, that’s the second half of this post.
Ridgway
Another San Juan Mountains town. Less old town western-y but still has charm. The biggest draw to this town is the Blue Lakes Hike. This is a popular hike that takes you to a beautiful alpine lake. It is on the more strenuous side and I debated even mentioning it, but it’s one of the most accessible blue water lakes (I think you mentioned Chris liking those?) as most are much longer hikes. I would say we’d only need to hike to the lowest lake, or a little further for the view of the lowest lake, which would be 3.8 miles up. And that would be an elevation gain of 2,000 ft. So, definitely strenuous and not for the faint of heart, especially as people coming from only a couple hundred feet above sea level. But worth mentioning, I think!
Vail Valley
For some options a little closer to Denver, Vail would be a great place to be. There are two hikes (below) in particular that I really love that aren’t too long or difficult that take you up over tree line to stunning meadow views and the surrounding peaks. There’s also Piney Lake, which can be reached via a long 4x4 road. It’s a stunning lake in the mountains, doesn’t require much strenuous hiking at all. It would require permission from Piney River Ranch, a wedding venue near the lake, and a fee to use the area for photos. Then Vail is of course a beautiful mountain resort town, definitely on the luxury side.
Corral Creek (videos from top of hike below)
This is a lovely hike that isn’t terribly crowded. It’s very peaceful, goes through a meadow or two, and isn’t too difficult or long.
Shrine Ridge (video from the top of hike below)
This is similar to the above hike and very nearby. It’s a little shorter though and more popular. Ends in a beautiful meadow overlook of the surrounding peaks.
Buena Vista
BV is a very fun mountain town in a valley surrounded by gorgeous mountain peaks. My favorite place to stay in Buena Vista is the Surf Hotel. There’s a lot of beautiful hikes near BV but my favorite areas to explore Twin Lakes and Independence Pass. Twin Lakes a tiny little western town and two large lakes that sit right nearby for lots of fun summer recreation. The town sits right at the start of Independence Pass, a mountain road that reaches to 12,000 ft of elevation and takes you to Aspen, CO. Here’s a session that gives you a glimpse of both Twin Lakes and Independence Pass. Not much hiking required at all, just exploring via car and walking around and taking it all in!
Nederland
Another town fairly close to Denver, even closer to Boulder. Nederland is a funky little Front Range mountain town. There are a quite a few options to explore in this area but there are two that immediately jump to mind.
The description in the link above is a little deceptive. This hike isn’t terribly difficult if you stop at Lake Isabelle and don’t go too much further up. It’s a beautiful area, quite stunning, but it is a very popular trail, even on weekdays. It can also get VERY windy at the lake. But it definitely brings the wow factor!
This hike near Nederland is popular as well but another really beautiful one that ends at an alpine lake. It’s not too long, though the elevation gain can be a little bit of a kicker and the road leading to the trailhead is very bumpy! Lots of beautiful streams and wildflowers along the way.
State Forest State Park
This option is very specific. Its Lake Agnes inside State Forest State Park. This hike isn’t very difficult at all and not long, which is why it’s so great that it offers a very cool payoff in the form of this lake with a tiny little island in the middle. It’s a very rocky lake though and not much greenery surrounds the area. It’s also a hike that isn’t close to any great towns of any kind. AKA it’s basically in the middle of nowhere. But there are some cool yurt and cabin rentals if roughing it is your thing! And the rest of the park has some really beautiful scenery.
