Red Creek Group Site

Overview

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. Bald eagles come here to fish in winter.

Recreation

Hikers will enjoy the Dillon Pinnacles Trail for views of spires formed by eroded volcanic ash.

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.

Facilities

This is a group camping site for a minimum of 9 people and a maximum of 20 people. Pay showers and a marina are nearby at Elk Creek or Lake Fork (open during summer months).

Natural Features

This area is characterized by semi-arid shrubland with large cottonwood trees lining the campground. The group site sits on Red Creek, off the northern edge of the Blue Mesa Basin at an altitude of 7,580 feet.

Blue Mesa connects to the Morrow Point Reservoir, which flows down to the more isolated Crystal Reservoir. The passage of the Gunnison River is marked by the steep, narrow cliffs of the Black Canyon.

Nearby Attractions

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. The bonus is picture-perfect access to the tallest cliffs in the canyon.