PUBLIC LANDS

Gunnison County is home to over 2,000,000 acres of public land, almost 82% of the county. While many people have different reasons for calling Gunnison Valley home, it’s access to these lands and the ability to play outside that keep many of us here.

Fat biking at Hartman Rocks in Gunnison, Colorado

Bureau of Land Management

Most of the southern portion of Gunnison County falls under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, including the singletrack hub of Hartman Rocks Recreation Area. Tons of camping, mountain biking and back road exploration are possible on BLM managed lands in the Gunnison Valley.

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U.S. Forest Service

The U.S.F.S maintains the vast majority of public lands in Gunnison County. The Gunnison National Forest is home to a large quantity of singletrack that visitors and locals enjoy. In addition to the regular swaths of National Forest that they are stewards of, they also host five Wilderness Areas in Gunnison County: Maroon Bells-Snowmass, Fossil Ridge, the Raggeds, West Elk and Collegiate Peaks.

FInd Trails

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The National Park Service manages two large parks within Gunnison County. Curecanti National Recreation Area encompasses the length of the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest lake, and offers some of the best camping, boating and fishing in the country.

Below Curecanti is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Its namesake is one of the deepest/narrowest gorges in the world. From either rim you can stare straight down 2000′ to the roiling waters of the Gunnison River. Due to its inaccessibility at the bottom, those who enter can be sure to find monstrous trout, Class V and VI whitewater and some of the biggest multi-pitch routes in the west, all in one of the most stunning places you’ll ever visit. If the adventure of visiting the bottom isn’t for you, the Park Service maintains a Visitor Center and driving tour on the South Rim and several overlooks along the North Rim.

Places to Go

Gunnison Public Lands Initiative and STOR Committee

As a community, we like to proactively and positively engage with our public lands. We are incredibly fortunate to have progressive and innovative public lands managers here in Gunnison County. Two big ways we engage are through the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI) and the Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (STOR) Committee.

Gunnison Public Lands Initiative

GPLI is a working group of many local stakeholders developing a consensus plan to protect public lands, enhance a strong and sustainable economy, and support historic uses of public lands.

There’s more than enough space to satisfy any adventure.

Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee

The STOR Committee was born with a goal of ensuring a balance of sustainable tourism and outdoor recreation while also respecting our landscapes. This committee is unique among communities in the West and includes representatives from each of the three federal land agencies working in the Gunnison Valley, the state of Colorado and many local stakeholders.