East Portal Picnic Area

East Portal Picnic Area is a first-come, day-use picnic stop near the Gunnison River at the bottom of Black Canyon. It’s a good change from the rim overlooks if you want a picnic at river level and time to explore the story of East Portal. Tables are provided, and the restrooms are in the parking lot.

East Portal is within Curecanti National Recreation Area, but you can reach it only from Black Canyon’s South Rim. The paved, two-way road is winding and reaches 16% grades, so use low gear on the descent. Vehicles longer than 22 feet, including trailers, are prohibited. The road typically closes in winter, from about November through April.

The East Portal takes its name from the Gunnison Tunnel and the settlement that grew around its construction. From 1905 to 1909, workers cut a 5.8-mile tunnel through the canyon to carry Gunnison River water west to farms in the Uncompahgre Valley. Its gentle 0.2% grade let the water flow by gravity, and the tunnel can carry more than 1,000 cubic feet per second.

At its 1906 peak, fewer than 250 people lived at East Portal. The work town had bunkhouses, family cabins, a dining hall, hospital, post office, general store, library, billiard hall, school and a three-generator power plant. Little of the town remains, but interpretive waysides tell the story of the residents and tunnel workers; summer ranger walks may also be offered.