Along the Gunnison River

Between Gunnison and Montrose…Amazing Geology!

Two stops to explore 2 new interrelated National Park Sites.

Curecanti National Recreation Area (#368), made up of 3 reservoirs and surrounding lands in western Colorado. It is a landscape of tradeoffs; natural and human made features exist together. Geologic wonders are abundant from the sagebrush shrublands to forests. Human occupation of this area dates back to at least 10,000 years ago. In 1965, Blue Mesa Dam was completed, followed by Morrow Point and Crystal dams in 1967 and 1976. They are part of the Wayne N. Aspinall Storage Unit, established to provide water storage to the Upper Colorado River Basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah. No surprise, the water is quite low now.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (#369), west and downriver from Curecanti, is home to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America (which actually start in the western portion of Curecanti). Forces of nature and the Gunnison River sculpted this canyon over two million years. The result is a vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky. The Black Canyon was carved remarkably fast because the Gunnison River drops at a steep gradient, an average of 34 to 43 feet per mile through the canyon, making it one of the steepest mountain descents in the world.

We camped the first 3 nights at Elk Creek Campground in Curecanti NRA…our 12th National Park Campground (Lizzy NP Campgrounds).

The last 4 nights we spent ~50 miles farther west in Montrose, the Gateway to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (close access to the South Rim).

These parks are so interrelated, that we visited elements of both parks from each camping location!

In Curecanti NRA, we visited the Elk Creek Visitor Center, drove the scenic highways of route 50 and 97 stopping at many vista points on the south and north sides of the Gunnison River, did 3 short (2 to 4 mile RT) hikes along the river (at the top of all 3 reservoirs). We also stopped at the Blue Mesa and Morrow Point Dam Overlooks, and (from Black Canyon) drove down (16^o grade) to the East Portal, where we caught a peek of the Crystal Dam and learned more about the Gunnison Tunnel, built there in 1909, to supply water to the fields and homes of Uncompahgre Valley.

Curecanti NRA-Upper Blue Mesa Reservoir from the north side, very low
Curecanti NRA-Neversink Trail along the Gunnison River at the upper end of Blue Mesa Reservoir
Curecanti NRA-an overlook on the south side of the lower Blue Mesa Dam, where we sat 15-20 minutes just watching the shadows cross the Dillon Pinnacles (and a truck getting towed out of the mud!)
Curecanti NRA-heading downstream on the Mesa Creek Trail along the Gunnison River at the upper end of Crystal Reservoir, just below the Morrow Point Dam
Curecanti NRA-returning on the Mesa Creek Trail along the Gunnison River at the upper end of Crystal Reservoir, just beginning to see the Morrow Point Dam again
Curecanti NRA-Morrow Point Dam from the Overlook near the Mesa Creek Trailhead
Curecanti NRA-heading downstream on the Pine Creek Trail along the Gunnison River at the upper end of Morrow Point Reservoir, just below the Blue Mesa Dam
Curecanti NRA-returning on the Pine Creek Trail along the Gunnison River at the upper end of Morrow Point Reservoir, just below the Blue Mesa Dam
Curecanti NRA-Lower Blue Mesa Reservoir from the south side, very low
Curecanti NRA-Blue Mesa Dam and the upper Morrow Point Reservoir from the Dam overlook
Curecanti NRA-Pioneer Point Overlook of the Morrow Point Reservoir from the north side
Curecanti NRA-Hermits Rest Overlook of the Morrow Point Reservoir from the north side
Curecanti NRA-diversion dam for Gunnison Tunnel at East Portal
Curecanti NRA-Peek at Crystal Dam at East Portal

In the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, we first visited the North Rim Visitor Center from Curecanti, after driving farther west on route 97. We also hiked the Chasm View Nature Trail and drove the the (unpaved) North Rim Road, stopping at all vista points. From Montrose, we visited the South Rim Visitor Center, drove the South Rim Road, stopped at and hiked to all the overlooks on the road, and hiked the trails around the Visitor Center. We saw much evidence of the 2025 South Rim Fire (July 10-September 18, 2025) and talked to a Ranger who was there when it broke out.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-Kneeling Camel from the North Rim
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-Painted Rock from the North Rim
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-Painted Rock from the South Rim
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-View from Cross Fissures
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-View from Cross Fissures
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-View from Devils Lookout
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-View from Dragon Point
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-end of the Warner Point Trail
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-hiking into the canyon (just ~400 feet) on the Oak Flat Loop Trail
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP-hiking the Uplands Trail, through burned up and rejuvinating Scrub Oak trees

The Million Dollar Highway and Silverton, Colorado

Yesterday, after 4 days exploring the parks, we spent the day (~12 hours) driving south from Montrose and through the western San Juan Mountains on the Million Dollar Highway to visit Silverton, Colorado. The Million Dollar Highway is a famous 25-mile stretch of U.S. Route 550 that connects the mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton. It was max 25 mph, very steep, and very curvy for 25 miles, with a high point at the Red Mountain Pass, elevation of 11,018′. We saw a female moose on our return journey, right on the side of road! (Deer, too, but that’s not so unusual.)

Silverton is a remote historic mining town and National Historic Landmark District nestled in the San Juan Mountains, elevation 9,318′. With a full time population of 500-700, it is the most populous community in (and county seat of) San Juan County (the least populous county in the Colorado). While there, we…

did the Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour, where we rode in an authentic miner’s “man-trip” car, 1/3 mile into the heart of 13,000′ Galena Mountain and saw & heard real mining equipment in action.
toured the Mayflower Mill AKA Gold Refinery Tour. Over its 61 year milling career from 1930 to 1991, it did 49 years of actual milling. It’s estimated that 9,700,500 tons of rock was milled, producing 1,940,100 ounces of gold; 30,000,000 ounces of silver; and 1,000,000 tons of combined base metals.
visited the San Juan County Historical Society Mining Heritage Center & 1902 County Jail Museum. SO MUCH to see there. It was great.
ended our time there with dinner at the Lacey Rose Saloon, purported to have been frequented by Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Bat Masterson, among others.

SIlverton, heading into One Hundred Gold Mine
Silverton, looking out the Tram Building toward the original mine whose rock was milled here…see the ore buckets?
SO MUCH to see at the San Juan County Historical Society Mining Heritage Center & 1902 County Jail, but we got excited about the picture of the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals with Stan Musial! (from Mark’s home town)
Returning to Montrose on the Million Dollar Highway towards sunset!