All campgrounds except the Elk Creek Campground are closed until further notice. Loops A and D of the Elk Creek Campground remain open and reservable on Recreation.gov.
Deciduous trees, shrubs and conifers grow along Curecanti Creek Trail.
NPS Photo
Curecanti has more than 750 species of vascular plants. The park has vegetation communities that are both representative of the adjacent Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Gunnison Valley.
The park lies within the Dry Domain (climate classification) and supports montane (mountain), temperate, and semi-desert vegetation. Outside of the steep Black Canyon of the Gunnison areas, Curecanti is characterized by semi-arid shrublands of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and Gambel oak. The Gunnison Basin sagebrush ecosystem is one of the largest remaining in the country.
Douglas-fir, Colorado blue spruce, and other shrubs grow on the north facing canyon slopes surrounding Morrow Point and Crystal reservoirs. The drier, warmer south-facing slopes host big sagebrush and juniper communities. The canyon rims are a mix of pinyon-juniper woodlands, quaking aspen, and other conifers. Riparian vegetation dominates along the Gunnison River and 53 miles (85 km) of tributaries. Cottonwood, willow, box elder, and some conifers occur along the canyon bottoms and riverbanks. The distribution of vegetation is driven by elevation, type of soil, geology, amount of sunlight, availability of water, and fire.
Ecoregions
Multiple ecoregions, or areas of similar ecosystems, meet within the boundaries of Curecanti. The park falls predominatly within the Sedimentary Mid-Elevation Forests and Sagebrush Parks of the Southern Rockies Ecoregion. The Semiarid Benchlands and Canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau Ecoregion make up the western canyon-dominated portion of the park.
Diverse plant communities are found here due to the topographic variation and elevation differences in the reservoirs, canyons, mesas. This affects temperature, sunlight, and water conditions for plant communities. Unique habitats such as seeps, springs, riparian areas, and hanging gardens also exist. A small number of rare plant species are either known or suspected.
Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Curecanti National Recreation Area. August 2010. Click image to view a larger map.
Northern Colorado Plateau Network
Vegetation Classes
A vegetation map shows the visual distribution of vegetation communities. These maps help park staff know what is growing in a park and what kinds of native plant communities exist. This mapping project (completed in 2010) was led by the Northern Colorado Plateau Network, with assistance from park staff and several governmental and nonprofit partners.
Twenty-seven vegetation classes (both natural and semi-natural) are found at Curecanti. The most common map class found at Curecanti is the Wyoming Big Sagebrush Shrubland. It covers around 22% of the map area (larger than the park boundary). Sagebrush shrublands are the predominant vegetation. Dense forests exist on the north-facing slopes of Black Canyon and on some of the canyon rims. Riparian vegetation exists along the Gunnison River and its tributaries.
Invasive species can disrupt native ecosystems, displace native plants, and alter ecosystem functions.
For a complete list of vascular plant species found at Curecanti National Recreation Area, use the tool below. Select 'Vascular Plants' under species category.
Species Attribute Definitions
Definitions
Occurrence
Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.
Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.
Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.
Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.
Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.
Occurrence Tags
Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.
False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.
Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.
Abundance
Abundant:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.
Common:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.
Uncommon:
Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.
Rare:
Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.
Occasional:
Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).
Unknown: Abundance unknown
Nativeness
Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.
Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.
Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.
List Differences
The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.
The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.
The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.
Northern Colorado Plateau Network’s scientists use satellite observations of vegetation condition in Curecanti National Recreation Area with climate data over time to reveal how climate influences plant production and phenology. Knowing which of the wide range of 16 vegetation assemblages found in Curecanti are more or less sensitive to climate change can help managers understand what to expect over the next few decades, and plan for the changes coming their way.
Locations:Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, City Of Rocks National Reserve, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Grand Teton National Park, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division, Upper Columbia Basin Inventory & Monitoring Network
Sagebrush, America’s most imperiled ecosystem, is half of what it once was. Aided by recent infrastructure funding, a dedicated community of scientists is racing to protect the best of what’s left.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Amistad National Recreation Area, Antietam National Battlefield, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Arches National Park, Assateague Island National Seashore, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Badlands National Park, Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Big Hole National Battlefield, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Big Thicket National Preserve, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Biscayne National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Bryce Canyon National Park, Buffalo National River, Cabrillo National Monument, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Capitol Reef National Park, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Catoctin Mountain Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Chamizal National Memorial, Channel Islands National Park, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Chiricahua National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Congaree National Park, Coronado National Memorial, Cowpens National Battlefield, Crater Lake National Park, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Death Valley National Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Devils Postpile National Monument, Devils Tower National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, Dry Tortugas National Park, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Effigy Mounds National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Everglades National Park, Fire Island National Seashore, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fort Union National Monument, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Fossil Butte National Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Glacier National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Teton National Park, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Great Basin National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Indiana Dunes National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Jewel Cave National Monument, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, John Muir National Historic Site, Joshua Tree National Park, Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Missouri National Recreational River, Mojave National Preserve, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Muir Woods National Monument, Natchez Trace Parkway, National Capital Parks-East, Natural Bridges National Monument, Navajo National Monument, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, Niobrara National Scenic River, Noatak National Preserve, Obed Wild & Scenic River, Olympic National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Padre Island National Seashore, Pecos National Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Pipe Spring National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, Redwood National and State Parks, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rock Creek Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Shenandoah National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Tonto National Monument, Tule Lake National Monument, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Voyageurs National Park, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, White Sands National Park, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Wind Cave National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yucca House National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Scientists from the Northern Colorado Plateau Network travel thousands of miles each year to collect data on plants, soils, and water across network parks. But it would be impossible to cover every square inch of the Northern Colorado Plateau with boots on the ground. Instead, we simultaneously monitor the parks with boots in space—satellite data that provide information at a much broader scale.
Locations:Arches National Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Channel Islands National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Death Valley National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fossil Butte National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Tonto National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, White Sands National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Yucca House National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
When the climate changes enough, the vegetation communities growing in any given place will also change. Under an expanded bimodal climate zone, some plant communities in western national parks are more likely to change than others. National Park Service ecologists and partners investigated the future conditions that may force some of this change. Having this information can help park managers decide whether to resist, direct, or accept the change.
Locations:Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Amistad National Recreation Area, Arches National Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Chiricahua National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fort Union National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Glacier National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Tonto National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, White Sands National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Yucca House National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Across the Intermountain Region, Inventory & Monitoring Division ecologists are helping to track the effects of climate change, provide baseline information for resource management, evaluate new technologies, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. This article highlights accomplishments achieved during fiscal year 2021.
The results of a recent study may help land managers to prioritize grassland conservation and restoration efforts. Park managers can’t do much about climate, but with the right information, they can make choices based on how different grassland communities behave in different soil types. In this study, cool-season grasses showed more resilience to drought than warm-season grasses.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Knowing which key natural resources are found in the national parks, and whether they're stable or changing, helps decisionmakers make sound choices. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network is building that knowledge. After more than ten years of monitoring, we've learned a lot about park ecosystems, how they're changing, and what they may look like in the days to come. Find out what we’ve learned and how it’s being used to help managers plan for the future.
