The Gunnison Whitewater Park is less than a mile east of the Gunnison City limits on Hwy 50. To get there simply take U.S 50 east from Gunnison and take a left just after crossing over the river (there is a big sign). (This essentially is a duplicate listing, since it is part of the longer stretch detailed as
01\. Almont to Blue Mesa Reservoir (Town Run).)
The "Gunny Play Park" has 3 surf features that offer a variety of experiences at different levels. Respondents to AW's 2013 Gunnison River Flow study identified 600 - 5000 cfs as acceptable flows and 900 - 5000 cfs as optimal flows.
A webcam that showcases the 'top' feature, courtesy of the Upper Gunnison Water Conservation District and other partners is available to viewers
here.
The whitewater park is host to the annual
Gunnison River Festival each June.
The
Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association describes the park as follows:
_"One of Gunnison's newest recreational attractions is the Gunnison Whitewater Park on the Gunnison River, built for recreational canoeing, kayaking and rafting._
_The community park associated with the water park includes a walking path, picnic area with grills. The trail runs the whole length of the park and makes fishing the river easy._
_The management and maintenance of the Gunnison Whitewater Park will be overseen by the Todd Crane Center for Outdoor Leadership and the Recreation Department at Western State Colorado University._
_The Gunnison Whitewater Park is a series of rock structures along a several hundred-foot section of the Gunnison River, just west of town and downstream of the Twin Bridges (just west of the town of Gunnison, Colorado). These formations create various water dynamics that make rafting more exciting and turn the area into a paddle playground for kayakers, SUP's and rafts enabling them to perform all types of tricks while staying within the same stretch of the river."_