Fourteener Coffee Club
At a glance
- Roasts inCrested Butte, CO
- Founded1993
- Founded byAl Smith
- CafesCrested Butte and Crested Butte South
- VisitorsOpen to the public
Camp 4 Coffee is one of the beloved local roasters we follow in Colorado: an independent roaster based in Crested Butte, founded in 1993. Here is what their own pages and public sources say about them, in our words.
Their story
Owner Al Smith has been serving coffee to Crested Butte locals and visitors since 1993. The business began as a winter coffee cart outside the Mt. Crested Butte bus stop, where early morning temperatures can reach 40 below. The name came from a campfire in Yosemite, where Smith and his climbing partners happened to be sitting in the park's Camp 4, a famous rock climbing campground. On big expeditions, camp 4 is often the last stop for a hot drink before the summit push.
Every coffee sold in the shops and online is roasted by hand in small batches at the Crested Butte South location, and the company says only two people know the house recipe. Al, Wythina and Murphy lead a team of baristas, kitchen crew and roasters who work through both the summer and winter seasons. The two shops, covered in old license plates, have become town landmarks that show up in photos, postcards, magazine covers and local paintings.
The Crested Butte News readers have repeatedly voted Camp 4 the best cup of coffee in town. Camp 4 delivers in person within the Gunnison Valley, from Mt. Crested Butte to Gunnison, and ships everywhere else.
What they roast
Roast levels run light, medium dark, dark and French roast. House blends include Sledgehammer (house blend of Sumatra, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Brazil), SilverHammer (certified organic version of Sledgehammer, medium dark), Art of Darkness (French roast of Sumatra and Costa Rica), Blue Mesa (Ethiopia and Colombia), Half caf blend of French Roast and Luna Vista, Organic dark blend of Sumatra and Central America and Light European style blend of Colombia and Guatemala. Single origins on the list when we checked: Certified Central American coffee with floral and citrus notes. Sledgehammer is the blend used for the espresso drinks in the shops. Decaf made with the chemical-free Swiss Water Process. Offerings change with the seasons, so this is what their own pages listed on 2026-09-27.
Where to drink it
Both shops take walk-ins and have outdoor seating; they close for a staff break in early November before ski season.
- Downtown Crested Butte: 402 1/2 Elk Ave, Crested Butte
- Crested Butte South: 161 Gillaspey Ave, Crested Butte South
Address
161 Gillaspey Ave, Crested Butte South, CO
Crested Butte South shop, where all Camp 4 coffee is roasted.
Why buying from Camp 4 Coffee matters here
Shops sit on Elk Avenue in downtown Crested Butte and on Gillaspey Avenue in Crested Butte South. The shops sell organic Big B's juices from Paonia, just over the pass. The shops close for part of November so staff can rest and travel before the winter season, while the owners keep filling web and wholesale orders. The site promotes local events such as a High Country Conservation Advocates bike tour.
Every bag bought from a Crested Butte roaster pays roasting and cafe wages in Colorado, and the coffee reaches you days after roasting instead of months. That is the reason the club exists. Why local roasters matter.
About this listing
Listed as a local favorite. A listing does not mean Camp 4 Coffee is part of the club.
Are you Camp 4 Coffee? Email roasters@fourteenercoffeeclub.com to correct or remove this page.
More Colorado roasters
- Durango Coffee Company, Durango
- Ampersand Coffee Roasters, Boulder
- Pablo's Coffee, Denver