Morrow Point Reservoir

Background

Morrow Point Reservoir is part of the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit of the Colorado River Storage Project, a Bureau of Reclamation project that retains waters of the Colorado River and its tributaries for agricultural and municipal use. It is the second of three reservoirs impounded for the Aspinall Unit, lying between the larger Blue Mesa Reservoir to the east and the remote Crystal Reservoir to the west. The reservoir was created by impounding the Gunnison River approximately 12 miles west of Blue Mesa Dam by Morrow Point Dam, a 486-foot concrete double-arch dam built by the Bureau of Reclamation. Completed in 1968, Morrow Point was the first concrete double-arch dam constructed by the Bureau.

The Needle

One of the most notable features of Morrow Point is the Curecanti Needle, a 700-foot tall granite spire on the reservoir's southern shore. Located immediately west of the mouth of Blue Creek and directly across from the mouth of Curecanti Creek, the Needle was a well-known landmark to generations of rail travelers on the Denver & Rio Grande Western's Black Canyon route between Gunnison and Montrose. Though difficult to access, the Needle is popular with climbers, who must either use a boat or cross the frozen lake in winter to reach the base.

Recreation

Morrow Point Reservoir is part of the Curecanti National Recreation Area. Recreational opportunities include boating (hand-carried craft only), camping, and hiking. Three developed areas provide lake access: the Pine Creek Trailhead, accessible via U.S. 50 approximately 1 mile west of Blue Mesa Dam; the Pioneer Point Overlook, north of the reservoir on Colorado Highway 92 approximately 5.5 miles west of Blue Mesa Dam; and the Hermit's Rest Trailhead, on Co. 92 approximately 17 miles west of Blue Mesa Dam.

Pine Creek Trailhead's 232 steps lead 180 feet down to the water, where hand-carried craft can be launched. On the water, there are two developed and two primitive boat-in campsites along the north shore, and two primitive sites on the south shore. The two-mile round trip Pine Creek Trail follows an abandoned narrow-gauge railroad bed. Boat-in camping requires a Backcountry Permit, available at the Pine Creek Trailhead.

Pioneer Point Overlook offers a scenic viewing area and is the trailhead for the strenuous Curecanti Creek trail, a 4-mile round trip with a 900-foot elevation change; two campsites with picnic tables, fire grates, and composting toilets are at the end. Hermit's Rest Trailhead gives access to the steep Hermit's Rest Trail, a 6-mile round trip with an 1800-foot elevation change, ending with lakeside picnic sites and two campsites with picnic tables, fire grates, and composting toilets.