gunnison diversion dam

It's quite a drive down from the top to the river. Make sure you have good tires and brakes. By the time we got to the bottom and parked by the picnic tables we had to put the hood of our car up and wait for the smell of rubber and smoke to stop. But it was worth it. Pack a lunch and enjoy the shade.

Don't get too close to the west side road, but look carefully. The water flow is beautiful. Looking East, the Blue Mesa Reservoir goes forever

Take the time to read about the dam/tunnel and the water flow to the farmer's in Gunnison. What an amazing engineering project, and the fact that they drain the tunnel every winter for inspection and repair amazed me. Remember the road is closed in the winter, so time your visit in the summer to enjoy this site.

A nice cool resting area 5 miles down from the Visitor Center along side the river. Picnic shelters and grills available and great to keep out of the hot sun.

The views of Black Canyon were beautiful, and it's a lovely drive. We drove from Paonia, just an hour away. Saw lots of deer, colorful leaves, gorgeous snow-topped mountains.

Visiter auparavant le visitor center du parc sur la rive sud, pour avoir l'historique de la construction de ce barrage et de cette dérivation de la Gunnison River.