Just north of Montrose in west-central Colorado lies the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA), a diverse landscape ranging from adobe badlands to rugged pinyon and juniper-covered slopes. At the heart of the NCA, the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness encompasses a spectacular black granite and red sandstone double canyon formed by the Gunnison River. The Wilderness Area is renowned for world-class trout fishing, challenging whitewater boating, and spectacular geologic formations representing a geological history that spans 1.7 billion years.

The 62,844-acre NCA is managed by the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office under the 2004 Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan. Initially designated through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Act of 1999, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Boundary Revision Act of 2003 expanded the NCA from 57,725 acres to its current size.