More about the Land
Of Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
What Makes Gunnison Gorge NCA so special? We’re highlighting some of the NCA’s most significant features.
Natural Resources
The Gunnison Sage Grouse
Exploring the Gorge is like traveling through time; the geologic formations surrounding you span nearly a third of the age of Earth, from sculptural sandstone features at the rim to rugged cliffs of 1.7 billion year-old pre-Cambrian basement rock. Adobe badlands in the southwestern portion of the NCA, eroded from Mancos shale deposits, are remnants of a vast inland sea. Learn more about Gunnison Gorge NCA by visiting the Eagle Valley Trail!
Gunnison Gorge NCA is also rich with wildlife such as elk, bighorn sheep, and falcons. The Gunnison River within the NCA contains over 300 pounds of fish per acre and 10,000 trout per mile, thanks to its Gold Medal trout fishery. Although many of the fish were introduced to the river, native populations, such a roundtail chubs, bluehead suckers, and flannelmouth suckers are still abundant . Meanwhile, the land of the NCA provides important habitat for the Gunnison sage grouse. However, due to loss of habitat across the state, populations of the Gunnison sage grouse are becoming more rare. In GGNCA, there are ongoing habitat restoration efforts to preserve critical habitat.
“The Stone House” in Howell Village
Cultural & Historical Significance
Native Americans were the first inhabitants in Colorado, including the landscape of Gunnison Gorge NCA. Evidence for Paleoindian habitation has been found in the area. Archaic, Fremont, and Ute cultures also inhabited the land. Sheltered by canyon walls, but also having access to upper plateaus, Native American ancestors used the land for all matters of life including hunting, farming, social gatherings, and more. The Utes were forcibly removed from this area in the 1880s and relocated to reservations. This land remains sacred to the Ute tribe and is an important connection to their past and present.
In 1854, John William Gunnison led an expedition through the region in order to determine if a railroad could be constructed. Although forced to circumnavigate once they encountered the steep canyon walls of the Black Canyon, the area was officially put on the map and named the Gunnison River. Due to the difficulty of access and rough terrain, few people permanently lived in the area in the late 1800s and early 1900s. However, a few enthusiastic prospectors, John Howell and the Duncan Brothers, settled in the area hoping to find gold. The remains of their cabins and trails they used can still be found today.