Smart money says you haven't visited this awesome Western Colorado landmark in years. Even if you're a native, it's entirely possible you've never been here. You're past due for a visit. The overlook at the Hanging Flume between Gateway and Nucla is amazing, to say the least. You couldn't pay me enough to hang off the side of the cliff to build this thing. Get our free mobile app What's The Hanging Flume? You'll find the Hanging Flume 82.3 miles south of Grand Junction. This is a remarkable piece of Colorado's mining history. According to Wikipedia: The Hanging Flume was an open water chute (known as a flume) built over the Dolores River Canyon in Colorado. The Montrose Placer Mining Company built the flume in the 1880s to facilitate gold mining. Some sections of the flume remain attached to the canyon wall, although much of the wood has vanished.