Colorful Fall Rafting & Fishing in Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

Check out the fall foliage from the water & with these great packages

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (September 10, 2010) - When thinking about fall foliage viewing, most people think of going by car, foot, bike or horseback.  The autumn view also is glorious while rafting or fishing the rivers of Gunnison County, which are still high enough to enjoy both. 

"The water will still be good to raft and float fish through September on the Taylor and Gunnison Rivers. We will be running our Taylor River raft trips through the end of the month, and any Gunnison River trips will continue to run as long as releases from the Taylor Reservoir Dam are at 250 cfs [cubic feet per second], which they are scheduled to be through the month," says Jen Stevens, resort manager for Three Rivers Resort and Outfitting in Almont, where the Taylor and East Rivers meet to form the Gunnison River.

The raft trips offered on the Gunnison River during fall are scenic, Class II rides while the Taylor River, is a bit spicier with Class II scenic rides on the Lower Taylor as well as Class III+ whitewater journeys down the Upper Taylor.  Various types and lengths of trips are offered by Three Rivers Resort & Outfitting (http://www.3riversresort/).  During summer and late spring, Scenic River Tours, with locations in Gunnison and Almont (http://www.scenicrivertours.com/), also offers a wide range of rafting trips and two new ziplines in the Taylor Canyon. 

If fishing is more your style, the Gunnison River, East River, Taylor River, Blue Mesa Lake and Taylor Reservoir are among the many exceptional habitats for Kokanee salmon, northern pike, and brown, rainbow, cutthroat, brook and Mackinaw trout.  In fact, the county holds state records for brown, rainbow and lake trout and Kokanee salmon. 

Check out the fishing trips available through Willowfly Anglers (http://www.willowflyanglers.com/), based at Three Rivers Resort, or nearby Almont Anglers (http://www.almontanglers.com/); CB MacTrout (http://www.cbmctrout.com/) or Crested Butte Angler (http://www.crestedbutteangler.com/) in Crested Butte; and Gunnison Fish & Raft (http://www.floatfish.com/) or High Mountain Drifters (http://www.highmtndrifters.com/) in Gunnison. 

Value Rafting & Fishing Packages

Save on lodging and rafting when you stay two nights or more at Three Rivers Resort in Almont from Aug. 15 - Sept.  30.  For just $100 per person, stay in a lodge room or a small one-room cabin for two nights and enjoy rafting on the resort's Upper Taylor River whitewater trip.  This deal is based on two-person occupancy and is not valid with any other offers or existing reservations.  Taxes apply.  Call 888.761.3474 or visit http://www.3riversresort.com/.

Come and experience the country's largest land-locked Kokanee salmon run from late August to late October.  At Three Rivers Resort, just 3 miles from the final salmon destination at the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, utilize Willowfly Anglers, to help land the fish.  When purchasing any all-day guided fishing trip in September and October, receive a 15 percent discount on lodging accommodations of two nights or more.  This offer applies to Sunday - Thursday night stays only.  Call (888) 761-FISH or go to http://www.3riversresort.com/.

For other great fall packages and lodging deals, visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/packages.  For a lineup of  September events, go to http://www.septembersplendor.com/.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages

To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte's calendar of events and other personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free number (800) 814-8893 or visit http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta. 

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines with flights from Denver.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

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For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.

Contact:                       Beth Buehler                                        

                                    Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association               

                                    (970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net         

                                    http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/