Presenting the Gunnison River
proposed wilderness area

By Clare Bastable

Are you looking for a place to go in the winter months, where skis or snowshoes are not usually needed, and breathtaking views and opportunities for solitude abound? While skiing is a wonderful form of winter recreation, sometimes it’s nice to get away from the white stuff to have a winter hiking experience in the pristine canyons of southwest Colorado. The Gunnison River proposed wilderness area, in Mesa County five miles south of Whitewater, is the ultimate location to have the wilderness experience that you are looking for during the winter and early spring.

Aerial photograph of the Gunnison River Proposed Wilderness Area. This wild canyon is located between Bangs Canyon and Dominguez Canyon just west of the Gunnison River. Credit: Kurt Kunkle.

Every month, a different proposed wilderness area will be featured in the Wild Colorado portion of Trail & Timberline. The Gunnison River is a little explored haven of tight canyons as well as exposed, limitless forested mesas. In the eastern portion of the proposed area, narrow canyons slice through red sandstone, while the eastern boundary is comprised of sheer cliffs plunging hundreds of feet down to the waters of the Gunnison River. This landscape provides an amazingly scenic backdrop for hikers and boaters alike.

When asked to describe the Gunnison River proposed wilderness area, Grand Junction resident Eric Rechel, said, “It is home to desert big horn, deer, and rich, natural silence; it is a wild gem close to Grand Junction. Its piñon-juniper–covered canyons and cliffs rise from the river to create a quietly spectacular landscape adjacent to the clutter of urban sprawl.”

Perhaps one of the best attributes of the Gunnison River proposed wilderness area is that one needs not drive for hours away from a city to get to it. Located just twelve miles southeast of Grand Junction, this area provides a quick escape to the quiet and peaceful experience away from urban life that many of us search for.

The Gunnison River area is directly adjacent to Bang’s Canyon and Dominguez Canyon, two other areas described in the Citizens’ Wilderness Proposal. With the designation of all three of these areas as wilderness, a huge expanse of undeveloped land would be protected, creating a backcountry haven for hiking, boating, and other forms of recreation, as well as providing a huge expanse of viable habitat for important desert animal and plant species.

For more information about the Gunnison River Proposed Wilderness Area, or to find out how you can become active in promoting it for wilderness designation, please contact Clare Bastable at bastac@cmc.org or (970) 618-1341.