About Gunnison Colorado

Gunnison County is 3,260 square miles or about 2,086,400 acres. Thirteen percent of the county is privately owned. The remainder is beautiful open space, primarily owned by the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Curecanti National Recreation Area (CNRA).

The City of Gunnison, the County Seat of Gunnison County, is centrally located in the State of Colorado, 200 miles from Denver and 180 miles from Colorado Springs. Nestled 30 miles west of the Continental Divide, Gunnison is situated at the confluence of the Gunnison River and Tomichi Creek. The elevation is 7,703 feet. The economic base in the County is primarily tourism, followed by education and ranching.

Gunnison is home to Western Colorado University. WCU is one of Colorado’s top-notch, 4 year, fully accredited institutions. It employs approximately 275 people full-time, and enrollment is around 2300 students. Western Colorado University offers a unique and balanced combination of academic programs, student to teacher ratio, excellent facilities, and up to date curriculum.

Our local school district is one of the finest around, and encompasses both ends of the valley. For more information on our school district, click here.

Both the Gunnison Chamber of Commerce and Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce can provide helpful information about our communities.

The Gunnison/Crested Butte Regional Airport features the longest single runway in the state, with an Instrument Landing System certified for jet traffic. It is regularly served by airlines providing regional air transportation to Denver and direct ski flights to other major cities.

Gunnison County is home to nearly 100 miles of the West Elk Loop, one of 21 scenic byways in Colorado. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of the nation’s newest National Parks is less than an hour from Gunnison, and Curecanti National Recreation Area is 15 minutes away. Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado’s largest body of water, featuring some of the states best fishing, boating, and camping facilities.

Winter sports enthusiasts have come to enjoy world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding in nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Monarch Ski area. Snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice skating, hockey, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing mark some of the winter recreation activities. For more information on the town of Crested Butte, or on the town of Mt. Crested Butte, click on their links.

Summer outdoor activities include hiking, rodeo and wildlife viewing hunting, jeep touring, shopping, dining, climbing, cycling, whitewater rafting, golf, fly-fishing, horseback riding, boating, and camping.

Any season in the Gunnison Country offers an array of both indoor and outdoor play experiences. It’s a great place to live and enjoy sunshine most every day.