West River Trailhead

About West River Trailhead

This trailhead accesses the West River Trail. This non-motorized/non-mechanized trail provides walk-in fishing access to the Gunnison River. The trail heads south, up-river for about 2.5 miles, the last part of which is in the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness. For more information, please contact the Gunnison Gorge NCA or Uncompahgre Field Office.

How to Get There

From Austin, Colorado drive south on 2200 Road for 0.9 miles. Turn left at the Gunnison Gorge sign onto H75 Rd (gravel), Continue on H75 for about 3.2 miles. At the top of the hill, just past the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area sign there is a 5-way intersection. Take a slight right onto South River Road (graded natural surface, high clearance road). Follow South River Road for 5 miles to the trailhead at the end of the road. South River Road is impassable when wet.

Plan Your Visit to West River Trailhead

Heading to West River Trailhead? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)