Curecanti
National Recreation Area
Welcome!
Three reservoirs along the once-wild Gunnison River combine to create a destination for water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. It’s best known for salmon and trout fishing. Take advantage of the recreation area’s opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, and bird-watching.
Bring Curecanti Home
Your purchases support the parks. When you can’t get to a national park for a visit, experience it from the comfort of your home. WNPA’s online store is packed with ranger-approved park collectibles, books, toys, and clothing. Shop for a special item to commemorate a trip, share a memory with a nature lover or park enthusiast, or represent your favorite national parks.
Gallery
Explore Curecanti National Recreation Area
Located in west-central Colorado, Curecanti National Recreation Area was established on February 11, 1965. The area protects a variety of natural, historic, and archeological features, including the remains of ancient structures called wickiups that date back 4,500 years. After the land was surveyed in 1853, a narrow-gauge railroad was constructed to transport ore, coal, cattle, and other goods through the Curecanti area. The park contains three high-altitude reservoirs tied together by the Gunnison River—two of which are located within the easternmost portion of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Visitors enjoy recreational opportunities like salmon and trout fishing, boating, camping, and birding. Set in the Rocky Mountains, the area encompasses canyons, pinnacles, cliffs, reservoirs, and rivers, offering visitors a stunning backdrop for recreation in every season of the year.
WNPA has provided more than
$147 million
in aid to our partner parks to fund educational programs, initiatives, and scientific research
Kids in Parks
National parks are places where kids can dream up great adventures! Taking in amazing scenery. Testing out new skills. Exploring places kids may have only heard about. But most importantly, creating new memories with friends and family.
Stories from all parks
Our public lands are our public commons. They belong to all of us as part of our natural and cultural heritage. They remind us of a larger world that has existed long before the arrival of humans and will survive long after we are gone. –Terry Tempest Williams, Author & Conservationist
