Curecanti National Recreation Area
Curecanti National Recreation Area (NRA)'s Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water, which means abundant recreation and beaches.
All motorized watercraft vessels launched in Curecanti waters must have a Curecanti NRA boat launch permit sticker or digital proof of purchase of a boat launch permit.
The park requires inspection on all trailered, motorized, and sail powered watercraft before launching. Vessels must be inspected for invasive species before launch by one of the inspection stations at the Elk Creek, Lake Fork, or Iola boat ramps.
In addition, some boats may require decontamination. To determine if your boat also requires decontamination before launching, visit the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Mandatory Inspections web page.
Purchase your temporary 7-day or seasonal permit in advance here on this page. Retain proof of purchase downloaded to your phone or printed to obtain a boat launch permit sticker.
All motorized boats must have a boat launch permit sticker affixed next to the state registration of the vessel.
Print a hard copy of the email confirmation (or download it to your mobile device), as cell reception in Curecanti NRA can be spotty. Your email confirmation is temporary proof of purchase until the Aquatic Invasive Species staff issue the boat launch permit sticker.
The park requires inspection on all trailered, motorized, and sail powered watercraft for aquatic invasive species before launching. Stop at one of the inspection stations at the Elk Creek, Lake Fork, or Iola boat ramps (visit the park's Boating web page for map locations).
In addition, some boats may require decontamination before launching. To determine if your boat requires decontamination before launching, visit the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Mandatory Inspections web page.
Senior and Access passes provide a 50% discount on boat launch permits. Please note that other passes (Interagency Annual Pass, Military Pass, etc.) do not provide a discount for boat launch permits.
All boaters are responsible for knowing the Boat Regulations and Safety Information for Curecanti NRA, which can be found by visiting the park's Boating web page.
For current river and reservoir data, please visit the Bureau of Reclamation's Aspinall Unit Reservoirs web page.