Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional (KGUC), Colorado
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional (KGUC) sits at 7,680 feet in the Colorado high country, serving the Gunnison and Crested Butte valleys with a single long paved runway capable of handling business jet traffic year-round. The field is non-towered and operates on a published attendance schedule rather than continuous staffing, with the nearest customs facility located at Eagle County Regional (KEGE), roughly 66 nautical miles away. Business aviation accounts for a majority of the airport's annual operations, reflecting its role as a gateway for the surrounding ski and resort communities.
Runways
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional has two paved and unpaved runways. The longest, 06/24, is 9,400 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional has Jet A+ and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 6am to 9pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Eagle County Regional (KEGE), 67 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional recorded 4,747 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in July. Business aviation traffic at KGUC concentrates heavily in July and August, with a secondary rise in March, consistent with seasonal travel to the surrounding resort area.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 852 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
MALSF approach lighting is activated on Runway 06. PAPI is installed on both Runway 06 and Runway 24, controlled via CTAF. REIL is installed on Runway 24. High-intensity runway lighting on Runway 06/24 operates from 0600 to 2230 local.
The PAPI is unusable beyond 2.5 nautical miles and does not provide obstacle clearance beyond 2.5 nautical miles from the threshold.
Runway 17/35 is closed from December 1 through May 1.
Migratory Bird Act restrictions apply from January 1 through June 1.
PCR VALUE: 410/F/B/X/T
Rotating beacon operates from sunset to 2230 local, and from 0600 local to sunrise.
High terrain surrounds the airport in all quadrants.
This is a cold temperature airport. Altitude correction is required at or below minus 25 degrees Celsius.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional has five airfields within 42 NM. The closest is Crested Butte Airpark, 19.07 NM north.
Part of the Telluride and Montrose area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KGUC
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KGUC.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What runway options are available at KGUC?
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional operates two runways. Runway 06/24 is the primary surface, a paved asphalt strip measuring 9,400 feet long and 150 feet wide, suitable for business jet traffic. Runway 17/35 is a shorter turf-and-gravel runway at 2,981 feet long and 150 feet wide. Runway 17/35 is closed seasonally from December 1 through May 1 each year, so pilots planning winter or early spring operations should expect only Runway 06/24 to be available at KGUC.
Is customs clearance available at KGUC?
KGUC does not have customs service onsite. The nearest customs facility is at Eagle County Regional Airport (KEGE), located approximately 66.55 nautical miles away. Flights requiring customs clearance arriving from or departing to international destinations need to route through KEGE or another staffed customs facility rather than clearing directly at Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional. Dispatchers should plan fuel and routing accordingly when customs processing is required.
What lighting is available for night operations at KGUC?
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional provides runway and approach lighting on Runway 06/24 only. Runway 06 has an activated MALSF approach lighting system along with a PAPI, while Runway 24 has REIL and a PAPI. Both are controlled via CTAF since the field is non-towered. High-intensity runway lights on Runway 06/24 operate from 0600 to 2230 local, matching the airport's attendance schedule. Pilots should note that the PAPI on Runway 06 is unusable beyond 2.5 nautical miles and does not provide obstacle clearance guidance past that distance.
Are there terrain or wildlife hazards to be aware of at KGUC?
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional lies in an area with high terrain surrounding all quadrants of the airport, requiring extra attention during arrivals and departures in mountainous conditions. Separately, the airport is subject to Migratory Bird Act restrictions from January 1 through June 1 each year, which coincides with lower business aviation traffic during that period. Pilots operating at KGUC should account for both terrain awareness and seasonal bird activity when planning flights, particularly during visual approaches at this 7,680-foot-elevation field.
Does KGUC require any cold weather procedures?
Yes, Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional is designated a cold temperature airport, requiring altitude corrections at or below minus 25 degrees Celsius. This designation reflects the field's high elevation of 7,680 feet and the cold conditions common in this part of Colorado. Pilots and dispatchers filing approaches into KGUC during winter months need to apply the appropriate cold temperature altitude corrections per published procedures rather than relying on uncorrected published minimums.