CURECANTI NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
This 43,095-acre park, established in 1965 as part of the Upper Colorado River Storage Project, is composed of three reservoirs, including Blue Mesa Reservoir, the largest body of water in the state. As one might imagine, water-based activities are in ample supply. The surrounding landscape, sculpted by ancient volcanic eruptions and the rushing Gunnison into rugged mesas, plunging canyons, and pointy spires, offers plenty of dry fun, too. Hiking, horseback riding, birding, camping, and small- and large-game hunting are all on the menu. Where Curecanti ends, two miles below the Crystal Dam, the national park begins.
While You’re Here
▪ Fish for kokanee salmon on Blue Mesa Reservoir. During snagging season, which begins in November each year, fishermen can sight-cast to the sluggish, spawning fish, landing…