Colorado whitewater - Gunnison River, Montrose County

Montrose county, Crystal Dam to Chukar Trail section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS IV-V     16 miles
  If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more demanding, so better not forget that many runs in this state are not easy. The nature scenery of Colorado and the playfulness of the water will make you feel great. This stretch is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so pack your camping stuff. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. Getting your paddling muscles activated and spending some quality time in nature will have you coming back for more. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll
    have to drive a bit to get to one, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. This river system has a few good paddling stretches and the Crystal Dam to Chukar Trail section is one of them. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both,
doesn't matter, this area has a pretty small number of paddling places. The Crystal Dam to Chukar Trail stretch of Gunnison River in Colorado is 16 miles long and has been rated as a class IV-V section by American Whitewater.

Briefly about the general area:
At this river you will never have a bad time. A short trip to Lions Spring is always worthwhile, and Jones Draw is also a brilliant place to look at.
Interesting geology is available here; Sunset View is in close proximity to Gunnison River; you simply must pop by High Point while
 
you're here at Gunnison River. High temperatures at Gunnison River through the summertime are in the 80's, and during summer nights temperatures are in the 50's. For the period of the wintertime highs are generally in the 30's, and nighttime lows during the wintertime for Gunnison River tend to be in the 10's. At Gunnison River you don’t see much rain; most of the rain falls through October while June is the month with the least amount of precipitation.

Gunnison River, Crystal Dam to Chukar Trail road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: IV-V
Length: 16 miles
Average Gradient: 51 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.52163
Longitude: -107.6495

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.62149
Longitude: -107.83299

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Current weather conditions at Gunnison River, Colorado
WXPort

Local climate location: CEDAREDGE 12 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Comfort Inn Montrose, Montrose
9 miles away
FREE WIRELESS INTERNET AVAILABLE IN ALL ROOMS! Interior corridors. Hotel offers Comfort Sunshine Breakfast complete with waffles, fresh fruit, hot and cold cereal, hard boiled eggs, Danish, muffins, b...

Super 8 Motel - Montrose, Montrose
9 miles away
Each of our comfortable rooms include wireless high speed internet access - microwaves and fridge - cable TV with HBO - coffee makers and free local calls. We have a picnic area with BBQ grills and an...

Rodeway Inn Montrose, Montrose
9 miles away
This Econo Lodge hotel is near many points of interest such as the Telluride Ski Resort, Black Canyon, Ute Indian Museum and Ouray Hot Springs. Hotel amenities include free continental breakfast, free...



OTHER_INFO
  All Colorado Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Colorado.
Books about whitewater paddling on Gunnison River, Colorado
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Gunnison River, Colorado.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Colorado

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Montrose, Colorado
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Montrose, Colorado, the metro area neareast to Gunnison River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Gunnison River.
 Whitewater Near Gunnison River:
Gunnison River, Montrose/Delta County , 9 miles away, Class III - 13.5 miles long (Chukar to North Fork)
Uncompahgre River, Ouray County , 14 miles away, Class V+ - 2.2 miles long (Ouray to KOA campground)
Cimarron River, Montrose County , 15 miles away, Class V - 1 miles long (Cimarron to Gunnison River)
Cimarron River, Gunnison / Montrose County , 19 miles away, Class V+ - 10.2 miles long (Big Cimarron Campground to Cimarron Road bridge)
Gunnison River - North Fork, Gunnison County , 30 miles away, Class III - 8.8 miles long (Paonia Reservoir to below Somerset)
 Ski Areas Near Gunnison River:
Telluride, Colorado , 36 miles away, 3530 vertical feet
Powderhorn, Colorado , 39 miles away, 1650 vertical feet
Kendall Mountain, Colorado , 40 miles away, 400 vertical feet
Silverton, Colorado , 42 miles away, 3000 vertical feet
Durango, Colorado , 51 miles away, 2029 vertical feet
Sunlight Mountain, Colorado , 53 miles away, 2010 vertical feet
Irwin Lodge, Colorado , 56 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
Crested Butte, Colorado , 57 miles away, 3062 vertical feet
Aspen Highlands, Colorado , 69 miles away, 3635 vertical feet
Buttermilk, Colorado , 70 miles away, 2030 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Gunnison River:
Comfort Inn Montrose, Montrose , 9 miles away
Super 8 Motel - Montrose, Montrose , 9 miles away
Rodeway Inn Montrose, Montrose , 9 miles away
Best Western Red Arrow, Montrose , 9 miles away
Montrose-Days Inn, Montrose , 9 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Gunnison River:
R V Camperland-good Sam Park, Montrose, 5 miles away
Cedar Creek RV Park, Montrose, 9 miles away
Mountain View RV Park, Montrose, 9 miles away
 Trails Near Gunnison River:
Hartman Trail, Gunnison County , 18 miles away
Deer Creek Trail, Ouray County , 20 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater