Visiting Your Gunnison Area National Parks

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area are just two units of a network of nearly 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the nation. The treasures in this system - the first of its kind in the world - have been set aside by the American people to preserve, protect, and share, the legacies of this land. 

Colorado's thirteen national park units and three national historic trails are care­fully managed by the National Park Service for their natural, historic and recre­ational qualities. Take time to learn more about our western legacy, enjoying the trip between parks by traveling Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways.

When you arrive at a national park, take time to stop at visitor centers. Maps, exhibits and films are available to help you plan your stay. Gunnison's closest Na­tional Park Service visitor center is at Elk Creek in Curecanti National Recreation Area, located about 15 miles west of town. Join us for ranger­led walks, talks and Arrowhead boat tours at Curecanti.

Just one hour west of Gunnison, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in­spires visitors with its dark depths and beaconing wilderness. Stop at the visitor center to see exhibits, view our film about the wonders and history of the canyon and take in a ranger walk on the rim. Be­tween Curecanti and the Black Canyon lies the tiny town of Cimarron where you can take a break and view engines and rail cars of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad that operated through these rugged canyons from 1882 to 1949.

Don't miss the Jr. Ranger programs where our young visitors earn Jr. Ranger badges while learning about these special places! Visit us on­line at www.nps.gov for information about national park units across this great land. Visit the Kids Zone section of the website for fun on­line Jr. Ranger stuff! 

CURECANTI NATIONAL RECREATION AREA:
Three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River, form the heart of this panoramic jewel of the national park system. Located just minutes west of Gunnison, Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water and the largest kokanee salmon fishery in the United States. Morrow Point Reservoir, just downstream from Blue Mesa is the beginning of Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Next in line is Crystal Reservoir, below which is the site of the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel, a National Historic Civil engineering Landmark completed in 1909. Hiking trails, fishing, boating, windsurfing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing make Curecanti a recreational draw. At Cimarron, learn about the legacy of narrow guage trains in opening the West.

Other activities include wildlife viewing, star gazing (ask at a visitor center about night sky programs led by park rangers), kayaking, nature walks, rafting, horseback riding, climbing, camping and birdwatching.

MORROW POINT BOAT TOURS:
This 1 1/2 hour trip through the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison within Curecanti takes passengers through the canyon on a 42-passenger pontoon boat, accompanied by a National Park Ranger.

WHEN ARE THE TOURS? Tours run twice a day at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Wednesday through Monday from approximately Memorial Day through Labor Day.

HOW DO I MAKE RESERVATIONS? Please call (970) 641-2337, ext. 205
or stop by the Elk Creek Visitor Center (15 miles west of Gunnison off Highway 50).
Reservations are required. 

BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK:
A national park just one hour from downtown Gunnison! The Black Canyon of the Gunnison's unique and spectacular landscape was formed by the action of water and rock scouring through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by this canyon! Visitor Center, bookstore and ranger-led activities are available year-round.