Summer Activities in the Valley

by Danielle Johnson

Looking for activities to plan this summer? The Gunnison Valley provides many indoor and outdoor recreation activities throughout the year. This summer there will be many things to do in and around Gunnison, such as camping, fishing, rafting and more.

If it’s camping you are looking forward to this summer then check out the hundreds of camp grounds located throughout the Elk Mountains. According to the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce website, Gunnison has “so much public land you choose your camping experience-high in the remote backcountry or adjoining public showers and restaurants.”

Most campgrounds operate from May 1 to October. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management host lakeside, streamside and mountainside. For reservations for US Forest Service Campgrounds or Bureau of Land Management Campgrounds, call 1-877-444-6777 or visit http://www.recreation.gov.

If you have hunting hooked on the mind, the Gunnison Country provides some of the finest hunting and fishing in North America, according to the Gunnison Chamber of Commerce website. “Surrounded by pristine wilderness and abundant open lands, the area provides excellent habitat for deer and elk,” the website stated. “And the cold, clear, clean water that runs form the high mountain ranges is ideal for numerous species of fish.”

From rafting and kayaking to boating, sailing and windsurfing , the Gunnison area has waterways for all types of water sports. The Gunnison and Taylor rivers will attract you rafters and kayakers and Lake Fork will attract those who dare take on the early-summer run off when its waters will run at a larger volume than the Taylor, “with rollercoaster rapids and larger holes.”

For a more calm experience on the waters in the valley, the Blue Mesa Lake and the Crystal and Morrow Point reservoirs make for fine places to boat, sail or windsurf.

In the Gunnison area there are two golf courses for players of all levels. Two miles south of Crested Butte, the Crested Butte Country Club offers a “renowned gold course and a spacious, elegant clubhouse, driving range, putting green, chipping area and a full restaurant and bar,” according to the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce website. The Dos Rios Golf Club in Gunnison offers 18 holes as well as “excellent putting surfaces, a complete practice facility, full service golf shop and bar and restaurant.”

Other summer adventures, like four-wheeling, horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking, are accessible at a number of Wilderness areas in the valley. Along West Elk, Raggeds, Fossil Ridge, Collegiate Peaks, La Garita, Uncompaghre, Powderhorn and the Marroon Bells, trails and roads are marked and maintained giving the adventurers access to Gunnison Valley’s nature experience.

For specific locations and more information about summer activities in the Gunnison Valley, visit the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce website, http://www.gunnison-co.com.