Montrose / Black Canyon Nat'l Park KOA

The Great Outdoors

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is undoubtedly the star of the show for outdoor adventure when camping at Montrose/Black Canyon National Park KOA. One of the more popular activities in the park is to hike along the south rim of the canyon, where you’ll get some spectacular vistas into its mighty black maw. A more strenuous option for seasoned hikers and climbers is to take one of the narrow, and often unmarked, trails down to the water’s edge. Just be sure you save enough strength to go back up.While the Gunnison River might look exciting when you’re hiking through the park, it should be noted that it’s one of the fastest flowing waterways in the U.S. and may not be suitable for most paddlers. Instead, try the Montrose Water Sports Park. It’s anything but the water slides and wave pool setup that the name might suggest. It’s actually a section of the river that’s been set up for kayaking. The more controlled environment and easy access mean that mistakes will be less costly and you’re more likely to have a fun day out.If you just want to stop and smell the (native) flowers, there’s the Montrose Botanic Gardens on the southeast side of town. A walk through the gardens will probably only take half an hour or so, but you’ll get to see dozens of plant species that are endemic to this part of Colorado; so sit on the benches and take in their rugged beauty.

Exploring the City

Though the main reason to book an RV in Montrose County is visiting the park, the town of Montrose has a number of great attractions too. If you enjoy history, your first stop should be the Museum of the Mountain West. The museum is set up to look like a town from the late 19th century, complete with a general store, dentist’s office, and stable. Inside of each of them is a vast collection of artifacts from the period. If you want to get an accurate history of the Wild West era, this is one of the best places in Colorado to learn about it.If that’s not enough for you, there’s also the Ute Indian Museum that focuses more on the Native American perspective of the Wild West days along with their earlier history. The museum is rather small, but it packs a lot into that a tiny space to explain the rich cultural traditions of this tribe that is not very well known to tourists outside the Mountain West states.For a little bit of culture during your motorhome camping adventure, plan for an evening with the Magic Circle Players. The community theater group puts on a fantastic show with a season that runs from autumn through the spring. Some of the performances are classic material, but many are pure Colorado and are sure to entertain you when you're visiting with an RV rental near Montrose/Black Canyon National Park KOA.