A Premier Fishing Destination

The explosive strike of a trophy trout, the flash of a river otter, a desert bighorn ram poise majestically on a rock outcropping, the thrill of whitewater or the serenity of a placid float . . . every trip to the Gunnison River is a memorable experience.

The Gunnison River is one of the premier fly fishing destinations in the American West.  This wilderness river is home to resident populations of gigantic rainbow and brown trout, and is designated as "gold medal" waters by the Colorado Wildlife Commission for its outstanding angling oportunities for large trout.  Only artificial flies and lures may be used in gold medal waters.

In Delta County, the Gunnison is a tale of two rivers.  The 14 miles between Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and the confluence with the North Fork of the Gunnison is like few rivers in the world.

From the awesome depths of the Black Canyon, where volcanic rock walls soar 2,000 feet above the river, the Gunnison works its way through the Gunnison Gorge with 16 different rapids to challenge rafters and Kayakers.  Depending on water levels, these range from Class II to IV in difficulty, and boast such colorful names as Pucker, Jumpin' Jack Splash, the Squeeze, Boulder Garden, and the Gate Keeper.  Rafters sense the majesty of the gorge when they lean over and touch waterworn walls of basalt more than 1.5 [billion] years old.

Much of the land between Delta and the Black Canyon National Park was protected in 1999 when Congress created the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA).  The river canyon itself was set aside as wilderness, with nearly everything from the rim to the water remaining in its pristine state.  The Gunnison Gorge offers unsurpassed recreational opportunities, from whitewater rafting to world-class trout fishing to big game hunting.  The area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and motorized access (including mountain bikes) is restricted to established trails above the rim.  Below the rim, visitors travel by boat, on foot, or on horseback.

In the Gunnison Gorge, five established routes provide access to the river below (see map at bottom of page).

With a modest drop of 560 feet and established trail, the Chukar is a popular 1.1 mile trek for boaters and fishermen alike.  The adventurous fisherman, or hiker, will find solitude along the Bobcat and Duncan trails.  With its difficult terrain and steep, undeveloped trail which drops 800 feet in less than a mile, the Bobcat is the most difficult route to the Gunnison.  However, the fishing is terrific, and there are a couple of camping sites are available for hikers.

The Duncan Trail provides the quickest route to the river, and four camping sites are available for backpackers.  The two-mile trail begins with a gradual descent and the plunges 800 feet in the final mile.

The Ute Trail was historically one of the main routes traveled by the Ute indians,  It is well developed but long -- its 4.5 mile route is a moderate hike as it drops 1,200 feet to a broad meadow and an easy crossing point on the Gunnison.  There are four camp sites along the river, and during the summer the Bureau of Land Management operates a ranger station near the river.

Below the Smith Fork, the canyon widens again making for an easy float out.  The Gunnison Forks take-out is located at the confluence with the North Fork of the Gunnison River.  Downstream from the North Fork, the river transitions to a placid, gentle float as it flows towards the Colorado River some 40 miles downstream.  Volcanic rock give way to sandstone cliffs as the river flows through the slickrock Escalante and Domingeuz canyons.  The dark patina of the sandstone cliffs are adorned with countless examples of petroglyphs -- rock art -- created by ancient visitors hundreds of years ago.

Downstream, the Gunnison River can be accessed at the bridge over Hwy. 65, at confluence park in Delta, at the bridge in Escalante Canyon, and at Bridgeport.

Within the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness river canyon, the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA) offers outstanding wilderness recreational opportunities such as world-class trout fishing, whitewater boating, and backcountry hiking and camping.  Large expanses of adobe hills, and pinyon-juniper canyons and uplands along the western portion of the NCA are accessed from this site in the Peach Valley Recreation Area.  These "badland" areas provide scenic settings and trail systems for a multitude of motorized and non-motorized activities including mountain biking, hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, hunting, and OHV riding.

The Gunnison Gorge Wilderness, located in the heart of the NCA within the remarkably scenic double canyon system of the Gunnison River, extends from the northwestern boundary of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park north to a point about two miles downstream from the confluence of the Smith Fork and the main stem of the Gunnison River.

              Images and text courtesy of the Delta County Independent