A rugged landscape that attracts hikers and campers who like a challenge, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is known for its 2,000-foot vertical canyon walls, Class V rapids and superior trout fishing. Dramatic spires and rock formations, including one known as the Dillon Pinnacles, provide a highly scenic experience.

In 2017, The Conservation Fund finalized a purchase with the National Park Service (NPS) to add 2,494 acres to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Located near the park’s visitor center and along the the canyon’s south rim, this addition will provide access for additional recreational opportunities within the national park, which saw over 300,000 visitors in 2017.

Known as the Sanburg Ranch, this property will guarantee future access to the Red Rock Canyon area of the park, which is a destination for anglers and other backcountry users seeking a less precipitous route to the Gunnison River. This acquisition will allow Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park to better preserve the viewshed from the visitor center and South Rim Road, the main route through the park. The ranch property also creates potential opportunities for NPS to provide water to the canyon’s south rim, which would reduce the operational costs of hauling water to meet visitor and staff needs.

Prior to this effort, and with tremendous support from the NPS, we protected the 1,500-acre Dillon Pinnacles property in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and Gunnison County. Situated above the Blue Mesa Reservoir and adjoining Gunnison National Forest, this land provides a scenic backdrop for Curecanti National Recreation Area, which is home to bighorn sheep, elk and the threatened Gunnison sage grouse.