East Portal Road closed for winter

By Dave Buchanan
Thursday, November 3, 2011

MONTROSE – The East Portal Road from the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison to the Gunnison River has been closed for the winter.
The Curecanti Field Office of the Bureau of Reclamation announced the closure Thursday, citing icy conditions on the steep, serpentine road.
The road, which takes off Colorado Highway 347 at the south entrance to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, provides access to the Gunnison River within the Curecanti National Recreation Area, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Crystal Dam and the east portal of the Gunnison Tunnel.
The Bureau said the road will reopen next spring as weather conditions permit. For more information contact Ted Dunn at (970) 240-6300.