"Sportsman's paradise" Gunnison by goingsolo

A crossroads cattle town with a rapidly growing recreational aspect and the only commercial airport for miles. Gunnison is also home to world class rock climbing and mountain biking.

Gunnison is also situated close to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The South Rim of this park is about 60 miles from Gunnison. The town of Montrose is a lot closer and is usually the stopping point for those that want to explore the Black Canyon. But in between Gunnison and the Black Canyon lies the Curecanti National Recreation Area, which is striking even if for no other reason than that its unusual to see a large body of water in Colorado. Some even go so far as to call these three reservoirs lakes. But seriously, the Blue Mesa, the largest of these three, is a popular spot for water recreation activities. Also, Crested Butte, a popular ski resort, is about an hour's drive from Gunnison.

Other than its central location and its recreational activities, there's little to do in Gunnison. At least, that's what I found in the couple of days I spent in the area. But its a nice place to visit, has friendly people and good restaurants and its a good place to learn (or attempt to learn) rock climbing.

• Pros:Plenty of recreational opportunities and great views
• Cons:About 200 miles from civilization
• In a nutshell:A great place to spend a few days