Curecanti National Recreation Area
Three reservoirs and surrounding lands make up this recreation area 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. Visitors can experience the park year-round on both land and water.
Alerts
- CautionToxic Algae May Be Present In Blue Mesa Reservoir
Cyanotoxin levels in the Blue Mesa Reservoir are now below state thresholds. Toxins are still present at low levels, therefore keep kids and pets out of the water. Avoid all contact with algae. If exposed, shower immediately.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedHigh Mesa Piles Rx
18 mi from the park's reference point
- WildfireElk
24 mi from the park's reference point · 7,257 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireGold Mountain
34 mi from the park's reference point · 39,747 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedTransfer Rd Rx
45 mi from the park's reference point · 139 acres
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Curecanti National Recreation Area | Daily · All Day |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Elk Creek Campground | 153 sites | |
| $24 a night · Open all year. Typically loops B & C are closed in winter. | ||
| Lake Fork Campground | 83 sites | |
| $24 a night · All sections are reservable on Recreation.gov. | ||
| Stevens Creek Campground | 55 sites | |
| $20 a night · The campground is usually closed from October through mid-May. | ||
| Cimarron Campground | 23 sites | |
| $24 a night · All sites are first-come, first-served. Typically open May to October. | ||
| Ponderosa Campground ↗ | 28 sites | |
| $20 a night · All sites are first-come, first-served. Typically open May through October. | ||
Show all 10 campgroundsHide
| Dry Gulch Campground ↗ | 9 sites | |
| $20 a night · Typically open May to November. The campground is open as long as the road is passable. | ||
| East Portal Campground | 16 sites | |
| $20 a night · First-come, first-served, with 10 walk-in tent sites and 5 car sites. Please make sure you have the Recreation.gov app before going to East Portal. | ||
| East Elk Creek Group Campground | 1 site | |
| $120 a night · Open approximately mid-August to mid-October. · 1 reservable | ||
| Red Creek Campground | 1 site | |
| $60 a night · Closed from October through April. · 1 reservable | ||
| Gateview Campground ↗ | 6 sites | |
| Generally open May through late October. · 6 first-come | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Elk Creek Visitor CenterPassport stamp
This visitor center provides information, exhibits, book and map sales, restrooms, and outdoor seating. Water is available inside when the building is open.
Explore
Things to do
- Hike Curecanti Creek Trail2-3 Hours
After descending from the high rim of the Upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the trail follows Curecanti Creek as it descends toward Morrow Point Reservoir.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike Pine Creek Trail1-2 Hours
This trail follows Pine Creek as it cascades into the depths of the upper Black Canyon to Morrow Point Reservoir. It follows the old narrow gauge railroad bed along the reservoir.
Opens on the Park Service site - Boat on Morrow Point Reservoir
For the more adventurous, Morrow Point Reservoir is a great location for canoeing or kayaking. The easiest access to launch hand-carried craft is via the Pine Creek Trail.
Opens on the Park Service site - Boat on Crystal Reservoir
Crystal Reservoir provides backcountry flatwater boating opportunities. Hand-carried craft only. Access is from Mesa Creek Trail located at Cimarron.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike Mesa Creek Trail1-2 Hours
This trail crosses Crystal Reservoir via footbridge and meanders along the river's edge for views of the sheer canyon walls.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike Neversink Trail30-60 Minutes
This short trail is located nearest to Gunnison along the Gunnison River and provides good birdwatching opportunities.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Boat on Blue Mesa Reservoir
Blue Mesa Reservoir, the largest body of water in Colorado, has 96 miles of shoreline and provides opportunities for motorboating, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and more.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike Dillon Pinnacles2-3 Hours
Ascending through sagebrush, ponderosa pine and riparian habitats, this 1.9-mile (3.2 km) trail offers spectacular views of Blue Mesa Reservoir, the distant San Juan Mountain peaks, and the eroded volcanic Dillon Pinnacles.
Opens on the Park Service site - Fishing at Curecanti
Fishing is allowed along the Gunnison River and all three reservoirs of Curecanti National Recreation Area. All Colorado State fishing regulations apply.
Opens on the Park Service site - Drive East Portal Road1-2 Hours
East Portal Road is a windy, steep scenic road down to the Gunnison River. East Portal is within Curecanti National Recreation Area, but only accessible from within Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike Hermits Rest Trail2-3 Hours
Zigzagging through oak, pine, juniper, and fir, hikers descend more than 1750 ft (531 m) to a wooded camp and picnic sites on the shores of Morrow Point Reservoir.
Opens on the Park Service site - Drive U.S. Highway 502-4 Hours
U.S. Highway 50 travels west from Gunnison and brings you into Curecanti National Recreation Area. The highway follows along the Gunnison River before reaching Blue Mesa Reservoir, continuing along its edge and crossing two bridges.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
News
- East Portal Road reopens after weather related closure ↗2026-09-18
East Portal Road, managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, will reopen on Saturday, September 19, 2026, by 8:00 a.m. The road was closed on September 14 following forecasts of significant rainfall in the region, which…
- Tobin Roop selected as superintendent of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area ↗2026-09-18
The National Park Service has selected Tobin Roop as superintendent of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area.
- Fire Restrictions Lifted at Black Canyon and Curecanti ↗2026-09-17
Thanks to recent significant rainfall, the Stage 1 Fire Restriction Order for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area will be lifted effective Friday, September 18, 2026, at…
- Temporary Closure of East Portal Road Due to Weather and Mudslide Risks ↗2026-09-14
Due to ongoing adverse weather conditions, East Portal Road in Curecanti National Recreation Area is temporarily closed for public safety.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Rimrock SchoolBuilding · Sapinero · 9.9 mi
- Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Boxcar No. 3132Structure · Cimarron · 11.9 mi
- Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Caboose No. 0577Structure · Cimarron · 11.9 mi
- Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Locomotive No. 278 and TenderStructure · Cimarron · 11.9 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Curecanti. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for Colorado's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthGunnison Sage-Grouse 1× · Pronghorn 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 273 birds, 62 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Burrowing Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy-Owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-Owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Coot · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Barrow's Goldeneye · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Clark's Grebe · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Eared Grebe · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Long-tailed Duck · Northern Pintail · Pacific Loon · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · Tundra Swan · Virginia Rail · Western Grebe · White-faced Ibis · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · Baird's Sandpiper · Black Tern · Black-bellied Plover · Bonaparte's Gull · California Gull · Caspian Tern · Dunlin · Forster's Tern · Franklin's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Herring Gull · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Long-billed Dowitcher · Marbled Godwit · Parasitic Jaeger · Pectoral Sandpiper · Red-necked Phalarope · Ring-billed Gull · Sabine's Gull · Sanderling · Semipalmated Plover · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Snowy Plover · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Stilt Sandpiper · Thayer's Gull · Western Sandpiper · White-rumped Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Phalarope · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBand-tailed Pigeon · Blue Grouse · Gambel's Quail · Gunnison Sage-Grouse · Mourning Dove · Ring-necked Pheasant · Rock Pigeon · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack Swift · Black-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Magnificent Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · American Scoter · American Tree Sparrow · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black Rosy-Finch · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-necked Stilt · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Bobolink · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-capped Rosy-Finch · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Canvasback · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Vireo · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-collared Longspur · Chipping Sparrow · Chukar · Clark's Nutcracker · Cliff Swallow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) · Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) · Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) · Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) · Dark-eyed Junco (White-winged) · Dusky Flycatcher · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Phoebe · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-crowned Sparrow · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Jay · Gray Vireo · Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Harris's Sparrow · Hepatic Tanager · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lapland Longspur · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · MacGillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Nashville Warbler · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Shrike · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Pygmy Nuthatch · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rock Wren · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Thrasher · Sagebrush Sparrow · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Snow Bunting · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Surf Scoter · Swainson's Thrush · Tennessee Warbler · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · White-winged Scoter · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) · Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · American Water Shrew · Brush Mouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Canyon Mouse · Colorado Chipmunk · Common Muskrat · Deer Mouse · Dwarf Shrew · Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel · Gunnison's Prairie Dog · Hopi Chipmunk · Least Chipmunk · Long-tailed Vole · Masked Shrew · Meadow Vole · Montane Shrew · Montane Vole · Mountain Cottontail · North American Porcupine · Northern Pocket Gopher · Preble's Shrew · Red Squirrel · Rock Squirrel · Snowshoe Hare · Southern Red-backed Vole · Uinta Chipmunk · Western Jumping Mouse · White-tailed Jackrabbit · White-tailed Prairie Dog · Yellow-bellied Marmot
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · American Mink · Bobcat · Coyote · Ermine · Gray Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Mountain Lion · Northern Raccoon · Northern River Otter · Red Fox · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk
Hoofed mammalsBighorn Sheep · Elk · Mule Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · Fringed Myotis · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Myotis · Long-eared Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · Silver-haired Bat · Townsend's Big-eared Bat · Western Pipistrelle · Western Small-footed Myotis · Yuma Myotis
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Rock climbing in the national parks · Skiing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 37 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
During spring and fall, temperatures range from 44°F to 70°F (7°C to 34°C) with overnight lows from the teens to about freezing (-9°C to 2°C). In summer, temperatures are usually in the 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C). Nights are usually 40°F to 50°F (4°C to 10°C). The wind often picks up at 12 pm and continues through the afternoon. Thunderstorms are common. In winter, temperatures usually reach 20°F to 30°F (-7°C to -1°C) and lows often dip below zero (-18°C).
Questions people ask
Does Curecanti charge an entrance fee?
No. Curecanti is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Curecanti open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Curecanti?
Yes. The Park Service lists 10 campgrounds in Curecanti: Elk Creek, Lake Fork, Stevens Creek, Cimarron, and Ponderosa, and more. 6 take reservations through Recreation.gov; 1 is first-come, first-served.
Which Curecanti campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Dump station: Elk Creek and Lake Fork. Electric hookups: Elk Creek.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Curecanti right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Toxic Algae May Be Present In Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Curecanti?
807,117 recreation visits in 2025, number 80 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Curecanti?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G and AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Is Curecanti good for stargazing?
Yes. Curecanti is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
What is the weather like at Curecanti?
During spring and fall, temperatures range from 44°F to 70°F (7°C to 34°C) with overnight lows from the teens to about freezing (-9°C to 2°C). In summer, temperatures are usually in the 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C).
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
