Colorado · Cross-country skiing

Riverbend Trail

Riverbend TrailPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.7 mi
distance
11 ft
climb
8,849 ft
high point
Easy
difficulty
Jun–Aug
best months

Riverbend Trail is a short, easy cross-country ski route on city-managed land within Town Ranch, about 1.5 miles from Crested Butte, Colorado. The trail is 0.69 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 11 feet, so it's a gentle outing rather than a climb. The route starts at about 8,829 feet and reaches a high point of 8,849 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.38 miles in, where the grade reaches 2%. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Crested Butte show January highs around 26°F with lows near -7°F, while June and July run in the 70s. The station sits at nearly the same elevation as the trail, so those figures are a fair guide to conditions on the route. The Deli mountain bike area is just 0.1 mile away, and the Town Ranch cross-country ski area is about half a mile off. Crested Butte RV Resort, about 1.1 miles away, offers camping, and the Slate River, roughly 2.8 miles away, is a paddling option.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Riverbend Trail

    Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      26° / -7°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      29° / -2°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      38° / 7°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      47° / 19°

      9 wet

    5. May

      58° / 28°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      70° / 34°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      76° / 40°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 38°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      66° / 31°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 22°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 9°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      27° / -4°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Crested Butte, CO, 1.2 mi away at 8,867 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Town RanchPhoto: Helimedic39, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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DeliPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Tony'SPhoto: Nicholas Swanson http://nicholasswanson.com/ http://dribbble.com/NicholasSwanson, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors