We spent portions of two days in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park during our recent road trip in southwestern Colorado. This post collects some general observations from our visit and more specific details (and photographs) are available in separate posts on the North Rim and the South Rim (with separate posts dedicated to South Rim hiking of the Oak Flat Loop Trail and the Warner Point Nature Trail).
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park features two rims (North Rim and South Rim) that at some points exist closely to one another but have two separate park entrances and no easy way to move between the rims. The PDF map shows how closely the overlooks from the two rims are to each other.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is rugged and relatively remote and so sees fewer visitors that Colorado's more famous national parks (Rocky Mountain National Park and Mesa Verde National Park). To help frame this, here are the numbers of recorded visits to Colorado's four national parks in 2019 (using those numbers instead of COVID-affected 2020):
- Rocky Mountain National Park: 4,670,053
- First national park to institute reservation system to control crowds.
- Mesa Verde National Park: 556,203
- Reservations required for tours and they fill up in minutes from opening two weeks in advance.
- Great Sand Dunes National Park: 527,546
- Web page states (as of this writing): "Park Always Open - No Reservations Needed to Visit"
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: 432,818
I'm not aware of any numbers, but it anecdotally seems that the South Rim gets far more visitors than the North Rim at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Note that neither rim has food or beverage concessions and only the South Rim has a visitors center (the North Rim does have a ranger station).
The following table compares and contrasts the two rims of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park:
| Characteristic | North Rim | South Rim |
|---|---|---|
| Ranger Facilities | Ranger Station | Visitor Center (rangers available outdoors during COVID and there is small gift store still open inside) |
| Open intermittently in Summer | Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day (varying seasonal hours) | |
| Main Rim Road (Name, Type, Conditions, and Closures) |
North Rim Road | South Rim Road |
| Grated Gravel (typically good condition) | Paved | |
| Closed in Winter | Closed in Winter at Gunnison Point/Visitor's Center | |
| Parking | Several marked spaces at ranger station. Unmarked pull-outs alongside gravel road near trailheads of overlooks. | Clearly marked spaces in parking lot at ranger station and at parking lots associated with trailheads (some require parallel parking). |
| Overlooks | 5 total: The Narrows View Balanced Rock View Big Island View Island Peaks View Kneeling Camel View |
12 total: Tomichi Point Gunnison Point Pulpit Rock Cross Fissures View Rock Point Devil's Lookout Chasm View Painted Wall View Cedar Point Dragon Point Sunset View High Point |
| Hiking Trails | Chasm View Nature Trail North Vista Trail Deadhorse Trail |
Rim Rock Nature Trail Oak Flat Loop Trail Uplands Trail Cedar Point Nature Trail Warner Point Nature Trail |
| Wilderness Routes | (Web Page) S.O.B. Draw Long Draw Slide Draw |
(Web Page) Gunnison Route Tomichi Route Warner Route |
| Camping | North Rim Campground 13 sites First-come, first-serve |
South Rim Campground 88 sites recreation.gov for reservations mid-May to mid-September; first-come, first-serve for other dates |
| Closest Towns/Cities | Crawford (-20 minutes drive) Paonia (~40 minutes drive) Hotchkiss (~30 minutes drive) Delta (~50 minutes drive) |
Montrose (~20 minutes drive) Delta (~40 minutes drive) Ridgway (~45 minutes drive) Ouray (~60 minutes drive) Gunnison (~ 70 minutes drive) Grand Junction (~80 minutes drive) |
General Observations Regarding Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- There are no food or beverage concessions on either the North Rim or the South Rim. There may be limited water, but it is recommended that visitors to the park bring their own food and water.
- Both rims tend to be less busy in late afternoon and early evening than in the morning.
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison offers three types of trails for walking/hiking:
- Overlooks - These tend to shorter walks, often with little or no elevation change and sometimes close to the parking areas.
- Hiking Trails - These tend to be slightly longer walks than to Overlooks (though some of the longer overlook trails are longer than the shortest hiking trails) and often have more elevation change than the overlook trails.
- Wildnerness Routes - These are far more physically demanding than the overlook trails or the hiking trails and require the wilderness permits. Wilderness routes are the only type of trails that go all the way to the bottom of the canyon (other than East Portal Road).
- Although the rims at points are close enough to see people on the opposite rim, the drive between the two rims is long (takes about 2 1/2 hours), so it is not recommended to try to visit both rims in a single day.
- The East Portal is a route that visitors can drive to the bottom of the canyon if they want to see canyon from the bottom and don't wish to take on a wilderness route. Unfortunately, this East Portal Road was closed for maintenance during the summer of 2021, so we were not able to drive it to the bottom of the canyon. Because the Bureau of Reclamation had East Portal Road closed, we were also not able to participate in the Morrow Point Boat Tours during the summer of 2021.
- Shadows, shade, and weather conditions all affect the appearance of the canyon. Sunrise and sunset seem to be particularly beautiful times to view the canyon.
Additional References
In my posts on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, I have generally not discussed the history of the park or its geological or botanical characteristics. Fortunately, there are numerous online resources that cover these aspects of the national park. The following list references some additional online resources related to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
General References- Welcome to America’s Most Underrated National Park: Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- A First-Timer’s Guide to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- 5 Things You Can't Miss On Your First Visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison (and page 2)
- Grand Canyon Lovers, Here’s Why You Should Visit Black Canyon Of The Gunnison
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Colorado
- Colorado's Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Colorado (World Atlas)
- Includes sections "History", "Landscape and Vegetation", and "Animals"
- Canyon Viewpoints in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- The Best Views and Things to Do in Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: The Route – National Park Units
- Perspective at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- How to Spend a Day in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- Three Days in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Country
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: Complete Guide
- Why You Should Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
- Adventurer's Guide to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
- Things to do in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- 6 Top Things to Do in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- 9 Fantastic Experiences In Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
- Visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park – Top 8
- How to Visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison: North and South Rims
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - Discover Colorado's Hidden Gem
- Includes discussion of history and geology.
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison Is a Park of Extremes
- 6 Best Day Hikes in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Black Canyon Hiking Trails: Recommended Day Hikes in the National Park
- 20 Photos From Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park Near Montrose, CO
- Photo Guide: Black Canyon of the Gunnison
South Rim References
- South Rim Road: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Best Things to do on the South Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison
North Rim References
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