BLM · BLM national monument or conservation area · Colorado

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area

The Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area is a 62,844-acre (254.32 km2) National Conservation Area located in west-central Colorado near Montrose. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. 57,725 acres (233.60 km2) were designated in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Act of 1999. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison Boundary Revision Act of 2003 expanded the NCA to its current size.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Conservation Area65,053 acresBLMCO5 campgrounds within 10 mi
Search Bureau of Land Management ↗
2fires
active
Gold Mountain · 44 mi from the center · 39,747 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Conservation Area
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateColorado
Size65,053 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
National Conservation Lands idNLCS000324
Center point38.6721, -107.8473
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 4 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

BLM · Inside
Cottonwood Grove Campground
First-comeCO
NPS · 4.5 mi
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison North Rim Campground
Reservable14 sites
NPS · 5.1 mi
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground
Reservable89 sites
NPS · 7.3 mi
East Portal Campground
Reservable16 sites

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

    44 mi from the center point · 39,747 acres · 92% contained

  • Wildfire
    Elk

    46 mi from the center point · 7,257 acres · 73% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Park · 4 mi
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
National Recreation Area · 25 mi
Curecanti National Recreation Area
National Register listings within 15 miles · 37 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area?

65,053 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

What state is Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area in?

Colorado.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area?

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary, including Cottonwood Grove Campground. 5 in all are within ten miles. Rules vary by unit; the BLM page has the current camping rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area?

A point inside the boundary is at 38.672, -107.847. Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park is 4 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

Is there a fire near Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Gold Mountain at 44 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 25 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area?

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park (4 mi) and Curecanti National Recreation Area (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area?

37 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Us Bureau of Reclamation Project Office Building and Lathrop, J. V., House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the BLM National Conservation Lands layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.