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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Gunnison River Canyon ROA The Gunnison River Canyon ROA is that segment within the National Recreation Area that provides the visitor with a transition between the riparian riverine and Blue Mesa ROAs. Here U.S. Highway 50 winds its way through the canyon cut by the Gunnison River where it once flowed freely and unimpounded through this reach. For most of the year, the Gunnison River still flows through this ROA. However, during July and August, Blue Mesa Reservoir reaches its peak elevation and this free-flowing stretch of river becomes a flat body of water, accessible by boat to recreationalists enjoying Blue Mesa. Although adjacent to the highway, the canyon walls provide sharp contrast to the rolling high desert and flat mesas that are more characteristic of Blue Mesa. Excellent fishing opportunities are provided here where Beaver Creek enters the Gunnison River. Development consists of a picnic area at Beaver Creek and a pullout at Wilson's Landing. Views are primarily confined to the river canyon itself up to the point where Steuben Creek enters the canyon at the junction of U.S. Highway 50 and Colorado Highway 149. Highlights of Superlative Resources Resources of special significance that occur within the Gunnison River canyon ROA include: . Wildlife viewing opportunities-including mule deer, bald and golden eagles, great blue beron, and numerous species of waterfowl. . Recreational opportunities-including fishing from both the shore and water and ice fishing in winter, birding, and for those willing to exert some effort, rock climbing routes are frequently used in this area. . Interpretive opportunities-provided through panel displays at Beaver Creek. Blue Mesa ROA The Blue Mesa ROA provides the visitor with some of the most premier flatwater recreational opportunities in the United States. Here U.S. Highway 50 winds its way along the shores of Blue Mesa for approximately 22 miles. Blue Mesa Dam, which lies at the westernmost point of the reservoir, is an earthen structure that impounds the water of Blue Mesa Reservoir. The Blue Mesa ROA is the area most visitors experience while visiting Curecanti National Recreation Area. The area provides some of the best Kokanee salmon fishing in the United States as well as excellent opportunities for sail boarding, waterskiing, and sight-seeing. The vastness of the high desert landscape, high plateaus, and mesas unfolds and the visitor can sense the immense amount of open space that surrounds them. Numerous tributaries that provide the visitor with outstanding opportunities for fishing and hiking flow into Blue Mesa. The Dillon Pinnacles, one of the most outstanding geologic features in the recreation area, rise up from the lakeshore and provide visitors with one of the most breathtaking vistas in the region. This ROA also includes the bulk of the development that has occurred within the national recreation area. Major visitor support facilities thai include visitor centers, developed campgrounds, marinas, and park administrative and housing facilities are all found here. It is important to remember that developments serve as means to provide basic visitor services and to maintain the area. Highlights of Superlative Resources Resources of special significance that occur within the Blue Mesa ROA include: 33 002130