Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park — Attraction in Four Corners States

My friends and I were on a Thanksgiving adventure that took us from Cañon City, Colorado up to Glenwood Springs. On the way back we decided to take the advice of a Monarch Mountain staff member to take an alternate route back to Cañon City so that we could see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The three of us were pretty stoked for it, so we altered our route accordingly. And let me tell you, I'm glad we did.

I've been living in Colorado for about 3 years now and as a seasoned mover I've learned to "suck all the marrow" out of each place I live. So I've been all over Colorado--and each time I go somewhere new, I think I've seen the most beautiful, breathtaking thing Colorado has to offer. So far, Black Canyon of the Gunnison tops that list.

We entered the park through the North Rim entrance. Technically I guess it was closed, so we didn't end up paying any entrance fee and we saw MAYBE one car. That in itself made the experience pretty surreal. Then it started to snow as we drove down the dirt road. A large buck heralded the entrance as we wondered where this canyon was. And then, all of the sudden, off the side of the path--the earth just disappeared.

We slammed to a halt and jumped out of the car to take it all in. We came to a viewing spot and were absolutely DUMBSTRUCK by the beauty and the majesty of the canyon. I mean, this is the kind of beauty that makes you ask yourself deep, profound questions about life itself. It's the sort of majesty that makes you feel incredibly small. It's the kind of scenery which makes people say really loud cusswords in a futile attempt to express what the heart feels when it sees it.

We drove along the North Rim, stopping at each of the scenic points and marveling all over again at the canyon and it enormity and wonder. I mean, it's an amazing sensual experience--the sight is remarkably beautiful and awe-inspiring, but so is the sound of the far-away, clear-running Gunnison River below and eagles soaring through the wind that howls through the canyon. So is the smell of the fresh, mineral air. I mean, it's all a feast for the senses (except that I didn't attempt to taste the canyon. I probably should have. It probably would have tasted like liberty and ruggedness). I literally took pictures until my camera decided it had had enough of that and crapped out on me.

We didn't spend very much time here, but on the drive back to Cañon City we had plenty of time to talk about all of the time we WANTED to spend there. It's apparently a dark sky area, so I mused about stargazing during a meteor shower. One of my friends was fired up about hiking inside of the canyon and the other friend talked about wanting to camp there. It seemed so incredibly secluded and peaceful.

I WILL return here. I feel like I left part of my heart here. This is an amazing visual experience that you DON'T want to miss. There are views here that rival the Grand Canyon and it's surely one of the finest things to see in Colorado and maybe the United States at large,...

Eight miles outside of Montrose is Hwy. 346, a spur road leading to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The park contains 12-miles of the 48-mile long Black Canyon of the Gunnison River. The national park itself contains the deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon, but the canyon continues both upstream and downstream from here. The canyon's name owes itself to the fact that parts of the gorge only receive 33 minutes of sunlight a day. We chose to drive along the South Rim Drive, which features several overlooks during its course of seven miles from Tomichi Point to High Point. It is possible to hike down into the canyon but this requires permits and a great deal of skill; more than we have. The South Rim Campground is open all year, but without water hookups or dump stations. The first Viewpoint, Tomichi Point, at 8248 feet. This is the first glimpse of the Black Canyon for South Rim visitors. Most of the rim is above 8000 feet, so it is cooler. And the viewpoints all have ample parking. restrooms are at Tomichi Point and the Visitor Center. Gunnison Point is the second viewpoint along the South Rim. Gunnison Point is the most popular in the park as it lies just behind the visitor center, linked to Tomichi Point and the campground by a one-mile trail along the rim. There is a ranger led 1.5 hour, 7-mile boat tour of the Gunnison River by reservation only. The dock is 25 miles west of Montrose on Hwy. 50. It’s 232 steps down to the trail and then a ¾-mile walk to the dock. And then again in reverse. It costs $24. Two miles further along the road, the next stop is Pulpit Rock Overlook, where even more of the river is in view, as it curves round a 90-degree bend. A 134-yard trail leads to the viewing area. The park road rounds several tight bends before passing the parking area for Cross Fissures View, reached by a 357-yard path. Chasm View is one of the most spectacular overlooks in the park. A very short path descends slightly to a sizeable, railing protected viewing area above perhaps the steepest part of the whole canyon, where the cliffs fall 1,840 feet over a horizontal distance of just 400 feet. The next viewpoint, Painted Wall View, has a different panorama. Painted Wall is the highest cliff in Colorado, bordering the far side of the river; a 2,250-foot wall of rock about half a mile across. This marks the end of the most enclosed part of the Black Canyon. When you see it, you'll understand the name. The road continues to High Point, which also has picnic tables but no views of note. Most people come here for the 1,373-yard trail to Warner Point, the furthest overlook on the South Rim. This trail steps down to a saddle giving views of green fields, 1,000 feet below to the south, with the city of Delta visible in the hazy...

I tent camped at Black Canyon with my family for two night. The park is spectacular. I recommend heading to the visitor center to get maps and trail info when you first arrive. The visitor center is great (they have a few snack options at the gift shop and a water fountain outside).

A popular hike goes from the visitor center to the campsite and back (1mile each way). There is parking at the visitor center but it fills up fast.

There are longer hikes, a scenic drive with lookout spots and the option for people to get a wilderness permit (which is required for certain areas).

Hiking, photography (no drones allowed), climbing and fishing (you can drive down into the canyon where the river is) are popular activities. The park is great and well worth a visit (1 or 2 days are enough).

Dogs are allowed on certain trails and at all of the lookout sites, good news if you're bringing your dog!

We camped at the South Rim campsite, loop A site 23. Let me make it clear that the canyon is the draw, people aren't camping here for the campsites. Camp spots are unusual. They are quite small but then have extra areas behind them. They would be great for multiple small sized tents. Our big family size tent was a squeeze and too close to the firepit (which ruled out fires for us).

Pit toilets were clean and well maintained. There is a shared water spigot near A1 and a row of bear proof trash cans in the parking lot next to the road that joins the camping loops together. Each site has a bear locker.

This is an exposed campsite so we had a rough night with the wind shaking our tent (18 guy lines kept it on the ground at least) and then brutal sun all afternoon. We're still glad we went but we're ready to leave. There was a dark sky ranger program with telescopes out but with over 100 people standing in line to take a turn we decided to look at the stars from our campsite.

Pro tip: If you are camping drive the scenic drive in the early evening once temperatures cool and the day visitors thin out.

There is another, much shadier, campsite in the canyon by the river which I would recommend if you are tent camping with kids...