Gunnison County is easier to understand when you start with the broad valley around Gunnison and then follow the mountain corridors outward. Gunnison sits near the south-central part of the county, while Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte lie to the north. Marble is farther northwest, and Pitkin is separated to the east in another mountain valley.
The maps on this page separate roads, settlements, water, and elevation so each feature is easier to read. The WebP images are sized for quick viewing in a browser. A downloadable ZIP below contains the same four maps as high-resolution A3 JPG files for printing, offline reference, or closer inspection.
Table of Contents
Start with the Gunnison valley before looking toward the high country
Gunnison is the most useful anchor on the overview map. CO 135 runs north from the Gunnison area toward Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte. Routes 50 and 92 appear to the west, while Route 114 extends eastward from the central part of the county.
The county boundary has a complicated mountain shape rather than a simple rectangle. Its northwestern side reaches toward Marble, and the eastern edge follows rugged terrain with many bends. A southwestern extension contains Route 149, which makes that corner feel separate from the main Gunnison–Crested Butte corridor.
Marble is easiest to find near Route 133 in the northwest. Pitkin appears well east of Gunnison in a different valley. Looking at those places separately prevents the county from seeming like one continuous line of towns.
Neighboring county labels also help with orientation. Delta, Montrose, Ouray, Hinsdale, Saguache, Chaffee, and Pitkin County appear around the map. The town of Pitkin inside Gunnison County should not be confused with Pitkin County on the northern side.
CO 135 links Gunnison with Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte
The city map removes much of the road detail and makes settlement positions easier to compare. Gunnison is shown near the south-central part of the county. Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte form a close pair farther north, matching the northbound direction of CO 135 on the overview map.
That north-south relationship is one of the clearest patterns in the supplied maps. It also helps when switching to the water and elevation views because the same valleys remain recognizable. Once Gunnison and Crested Butte are located, the rest of the county is easier to place around them.
The city index also includes Marble and Pitkin. They do not sit on the same corridor as Gunnison and Crested Butte. The values printed in the map index are best treated as reference values used for this map rather than as a substitute for current Census population figures.
Marble and Pitkin occupy separate approaches through the mountains
Marble lies near the northwestern side of Gunnison County, close to the Route 133 approach. The surrounding map shows many small streams and fewer major roads than the Gunnison area. That combination makes the northwest look distinctly more mountainous and less connected to the central road network.
Pitkin is located in the eastern half of the county, away from the CO 135 line to Crested Butte. It sits in another mountain valley with streams extending around it. The separation between these communities is important because Gunnison County is organized by several valleys rather than one broad plain.
The map is useful for understanding direction and general access, but it is not a live traffic product. Winter closures, construction, surface conditions, and current travel restrictions can change. For trip planning, check the latest information from Colorado transportation or local road authorities.
Rivers and reservoirs show how the mountain valleys connect
The water map makes the county’s valley network much clearer. Slate River and East River appear in the northern part of the county, while Taylor River extends through the east. Taylor Reservoir and Lily Pond are labeled along that eastern drainage area.
Farther south, Gunnison River becomes a major reference feature. Tomichi Creek runs in from the east, and Lake Fork Gunnison River appears in the southern part of the county. Willow Creek and Little Cimarron River add more examples of streams occupying separate mountain valleys.
Several smaller water bodies are also named. Beaver Lake appears toward the northwest, Lake Irwin is near the Crested Butte area, and Rainbow Lake is farther south and west. Paonia Reservoir is labeled near the western side, while Taylor Reservoir stands out in the east.
Shaded relief helps show why these rivers follow the routes they do. Streams commonly occupy the lower ground between ridges, and the larger valleys appear broader around some of the main channels. This is a geographic reference map, not a source for flood risk, water depth, discharge, or legal shoreline boundaries.
Elevation separates the broad valleys from the surrounding ridges
The elevation legend reports an actual displayed range of about 1,801 to 4,251 meters, with a mean near 2,908 meters. That large spread explains why the county contains both broad valley floors and very high mountain terrain. A single description such as “high country” misses how much relief exists inside the boundary.
Greener colors mark relatively lower terrain, including broad valley areas around Gunnison and major waterways. Brown and darker shades concentrate on higher ridges and mountain blocks. The north and east show especially complicated relief, while the northwest around Marble alternates quickly between high slopes and narrow valleys.
Comparing the city and elevation maps shows that the mapped communities are not sitting on the highest summits. Gunnison and the Crested Butte area occupy lower corridors between mountain blocks. The Taylor River drainage also follows lower ground bordered by much higher terrain.
This elevation map is designed for county-scale comparison. It should not be used to determine the precise elevation of a parcel, road centerline, trail, or construction site. For engineering, surveying, or other precise work, use the underlying USGS elevation data or a professional survey.
Choose the map that matches the question you are trying to answer
Use the county overview when you need boundaries, roads, nearby counties, and a general sense of direction. The city map is faster when you only need to compare Gunnison, Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, Marble, and Pitkin. For rivers, reservoirs, and the shape of the valleys, the terrain and water map is the better starting point.
The elevation map adds the height difference that is difficult to see on a flat road map. It explains why travel and settlement concentrate in certain corridors while ridges remain lightly roaded. Using the water and elevation maps together is especially useful for seeing how streams and valleys fit between mountain ranges.
For printing or closer inspection, the ZIP contains the four supplied maps as separate A3 high-resolution JPG files. Each JPG measures 2572 × 3638 pixels. The archive is useful when the smaller browser images do not provide enough detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to compare Gunnison and Crested Butte?
Use the county overview and city map together. CO 135 runs north from Gunnison toward Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte on the overview map. The city map removes much of the extra detail, so the north-south relationship is easier to compare at a glance.
Are Taylor Reservoir and Gunnison River shown on the same map?
Yes. The terrain and water map labels Taylor Reservoir and Taylor River in the east and Gunnison River farther south and west. It also includes East River, Slate River, Tomichi Creek, Lake Fork Gunnison River, and several smaller water bodies.
Can the 1,801–4,251 meter elevation range be used for surveying?
No. Those values describe the displayed county-wide elevation range and are useful for comparing broad terrain. Precise elevations for a parcel, road, trail, or project site should come from USGS source data or a professional survey.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains the A3 high-resolution JPG originals used for this Gunnison County page. The county overview, city, terrain and water, and elevation maps are included as separate files.
- Included Files: 4 high-resolution JPG maps
- Printable Size: 2572 × 3638 pixels per JPG
Related Maps
Sources and references
The article is based first on the supplied Gunnison County maps and the place, road, water, and elevation information visible in them. The official resources below are useful for checking county information and the underlying geographic data.
- Gunnison County official website
- National Park Service – Curecanti National Recreation Area
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line boundary data
- USGS National Hydrography
- USGS 3D Elevation Program
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
