Basic Information

Located on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Curecanti National Recreation Area includes three reservoirs in the Upper Gunnison River Basin - Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) went into an agreement in 1965 with the National Park Service (NPS) to create Curecanti National Recreation Area. BOR manages the hydrology and water, while the NPS manages the water recreation and land resources.

Curecanti contains varied habitats including riparian areas, steep canyons, sagebrush hillsides, and forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Colorado narrowleaf cottonwood, and aspen. The recreation area is in mostly high desert country with colorful sedimentary and volcanic rock layers.