Red Creek Group Site

In the heart of southwest Colorado is a group camp getaway for nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts. The Red Creek Group Site is located in the Curecanti Recreation Area, just south of the West Elk Mountains. The campground is surrounded by national forests and park lands, with Gunnison National Forest to the north, Black Canyon to the west and the Uncompahgre National Forest to the southwest. A wide range of mammals can be found within Curecanti, including mule deer, mountain lions, black bears, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, elk and the occasional moose, and bald eagles come here to fish in winter. Hikers may enjoy the Dillon Pinnacles Trail for views of spires formed by erosional forces working volcanic debris; the trail is a lollipop of about 4 miles. Anglers can enjoy fishing for brown, rainbow and Mackinaw trout and Kokanee salmon — the population of Kokanee salmon is denser at Blue Mesa Reservoir than anywhere else in the country. This is a group camping site for a minimum of 9 people and a maximum of 20 people. Recreation vehicles over 22 feet are not recommended. This area is characterized by semi-arid shrubland with large cottonwood trees lining the campground. Red Creek flows out of the West Elk Mountains, through this campground, and into Blue Mesa Reservoir. By mid to late summer, the creek is low enough for wading, and some small fish inhabit the deeper pools. Blue Mesa connects to the Morrow Point Reservoir, which flows down to the more isolated Crystal Reservoir, and the passage of the Gunnison River is marked by the steep, narrow cliffs of the Black Canyon. The Cimarron Canyon Rail Exhibit features a display of an old-fashioned locomotive at the last remaining railroad trestle in the Black Canyon on the Gunnison route, with picture-perfect access to the tallest cliffs in the canyon. The Red Creek Road, which passes by the campground, provides access to national forest lands where hiking abounds.