The Curecanti National Recreation Area and Blue Mesa Reservoir in Colorado

When my husband and I left Crested Butte on our visit at the end of September, (click here and here to read those posts) to drive to the Back Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (click here to read that post), we had to drive on US Highway 50 through the Curecanti National Recreation Area and over the Blue Mesa Reservoir.  This area in Colorado has an unusual natural beauty.
(All photos will enlarge if clicked on)

The Curecanti National Recreational Area is a series of three reservoirs along the Gunnison River. The reservoirs are a destination for water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. Best known for salmon and trout fishing, Curecanti also offers opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, and bird watching.  A National Park Service PDF shows the size and layout of the area--click here to view.

Seen above are the Dillon Pinnacles in the Curecanti National Recreation Area, located above the Lake Fork section of the Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison, Colorado. They are high craggy rock formations, made of eroded West Elk Breccia, a composite rock spewed from the volcanic West Elk Mountains 30 million years ago.

It is impossible to pass the pinnacles without being impressed at their sharply eroded appearance.

There is a 2.8-mile trail that leads through the area's high desert landscape of sagebrush and stubby alpine trees to the base of the Dillon Pinnacles. The trail begins at 7,526 feet altitude. with a total elevation gain of 741 feet.

The Blue Mesa Reservoir in the Curecanti National Recreation Area is the largest body of water in Colorado, spanning 20 miles and boasting 96 miles of shoreline. It is also the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the U.S. and receives a copious stocking of brown, rainbow, and mackinaw trout. Unfortunately, recent years of drought and low snowfall have made the reservoirs levels reduce to historic low levels. As of this writing, it is only at 39% capacity.  I am hoping that this winter will bring back normal levels of snowfall to rectify this problem. Colorado rivers supply water to many western states.

A view of the Blue Mesa Dam, completed in 1966, which is situated at a narrows in the river valley where the Gunnison River enters the upper reaches of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  

Driving further on I could see the Gunnison River flowing into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, an area of deep erosion created by the river flowing into this area over millions of years.  To see more of the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon go to my blog post on this link.

After leaving the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park we drove again on US Highway 50 to return to Crested Butte.

 In this part of the drive, we passed cattle ranches...

...and just a small bit of autumn color among the mainly sagebrush-covered hills.

We then again passed by the reservoirs of the Curecanti National Recreation Area. You can take a park ranger-led boat ride into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison during a leisurely 1½ hour boat tour on the Morrow Point Reservoir during the months of June till mid-September.

I couldn't help but laugh when we drove past this sign for the "Bay of Chickens" in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. Curiosity about its name leads me to many online searches without success, except that I learned it has a facebook page and that it is a pleasant beach stop along the Blue Mesa with a picnic and swimming area, but has no chickens.

Some more views of the picturesque Curecanti National Recreation Area and the Blue Mesa.

In about two hours we were back in the Crested Butte area.....

 ...and as you can see from this photo this is the way I take many of my travel photos from the road--pointing my camera at the views outside our car window as we drive along.

It seems to work!

Mount Crested Butte

Soon after leaving Crested Butte and returning to the Denver area of Colorado, my husband and I flew to New York to attend a very special anniversary party for my older brother and sister-in-law, and also to enjoy a few days at the very eastern end of Long Island in Montauk. More about that trip on my next post!

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