Best places to elope in Crested Butte, Colorado

Best places to elope in Crested Butte

It’s about dang time I share with you the best places to elope in Crested Butte! This mountain town is located just over the mountain ridge from Aspen, in central Colorado. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to drive to Crested Butte from Denver, but it is a very scenic drive no matter which route you take! The views that reward you when you arrive are to die for. Let me break down the amazing elopement locations in Crested Butte!

Here is my Crested Butte Elopement Locations Map:

This map is like a virtual tour of Crested Butte with color photos I’ve taken of each place. So you can see all the great spots without leaving your living room. If you’re planning from afar, this is a visual key to picking out the elopement spot that works for you. Details like what seasons and time of day are best for each location are included. It will help you plan your activities, accommodations, and your day’s itinerary. Lastly, it’s easy to have a great backup location picked out with this map in front of you. Having that Plan B in your back pocket will keep your planning stress-free!

Get the map & start planning your Crested Butte Elopement Photography with me!

Information about Crested Butte

Crested Butte is named for Mt. Crested Butte, a laccolith mountain that dominates the skyline of the town. And yes.. some people, myself included, affectionately call it “crusty butt”. The town is at 8,900 feet elevation, so if you’re coming from sea level you will feel the impact the altitude has on you. Luckily, it is very easy to elope here, as the area isn’t overrun with tourists or red tape with permits and regulations. Granted, you should still Leave No Trace and ask permission from the ranger district if you plan to set up any kind of arch or chairs in a public space.

Places to Elope at Lakes in Crested Butte

If you desire a lake elopement in Crested Butte, you have quite a few to choose from! Emerald lake is perhaps the most well known. It’s blue-green waters are accessible by a dirt road that almost any car can go up. However, It’s high ridges on both sides make this a bad choice if you desire a sunset or sunrise elopement. More lakes are accessible on 4wd dirt roads to the north and west of the town of Crested Butte. All the lakes have big views of the surrounding mountains. There are also rivers galore, beaver dams, and if you venture further west, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Crested Butte elopement in Colorado

If you want fall colors and mountain peaks, Crested butte should be at the top of your list of places to elope in Colorado! This couple took it all in on a gorgeous September day. Their real elopement photos were super romantic in the yellow aspen tree grove. They didn’t have to break a sweat or tackle any off roading to get here. Photos taken with Gabrielle Stowe Photography.

Waterfall elopement in Colorado

Crested Butte is one of the best places to elope in Colorado if you are interested in exploring a waterfall. There are lots of waterfalls here, if you know where to look and where to hike! The well known Judd Falls are not a good elopement location, because you can’t access the falls. You can only gaze at them from above. The pounding Crystal River is at full force from May to July. It’s home to a few big falls, some of which are tempting to cliff jumpers. More cascades line the valleys and require short hikes to access. Visiting a waterfall can be a great focal point during your all day adventure elopement!

Offroad places to elope in Crested Butte

My best recommendation for amazing places to elope in Crested Butte are all off road! While this is a popular town for Coloradoans to visit, the majority of out of state visitors don’t make it out to Crested Butte so it is relatively calm. Get up some 4×4 roads in a jeep and you’ll have these epic mountains to yourselves! Off roading season is best from July to September in Crested Butte, because snow persists at these altitudes even through June and roads may be impassible. There are so many incredible places to have an offroad elopement here, I can’t list them all! But, I can and I will take you there 🙂

Places for a Hiking Elopement in Crested Butte

Some trailheads are accessed by 4×4 or dirt road, but many in Crested Butte are accessible to all. For the best hiking elopement in Colorado, plan to enjoy fall in Crested Butte. The last two weeks of September are filled with sunny days, cool nights, and all the aspen color that you could dream of! The Oh Be Joyful, Washington Gulch, Gothic Road, Mt. Baldy and Kebler Pass trailheads offer the most stunning views. And if you’re into camping, say no more, I am SO THERE!

Crested Butte Wildflower Elopement

So, want to see it all come together? You can see how gorgeous Sarah & Chris’s wildflower elopement day was here! In fact, Crested Butte is officially named the Wildflower capital of Colorado! There is even a wildflower festival. In late July and early August, Lupines and other colorful wildflowers coat the landscape here, making it a very popular time of year to elope. I definitely recommend it!

I offer full day, 1.5 day and 2 day elopement photography in National Parks and the wild lands outside of them. See my pricing and package details here. I would love to chat with you and help see if an elopement with me is what you’ve been dreaming of. Get in touch below!

See my other Colorado Elopement location guides here:

–Black Canyon of the Gunnison Elopement Guide
–Great Sand Dunes Elopement Guide
–Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement Guide
–Boulder, CO Elopement Guide
–Ouray, CO Elopement Guide
–Telluride Elopement Guide
–Aspen Elopement Guide
–Mt Evans Elopement Guide
–Summit County Elopement Guide
–Colorado National Monument Elopement Guide
–Maroon Bells Elopement Guide