Many rivers carve canyons. A number of our parks testify quite convincingly to the erosive effects of water cutting into rocky river bottoms over millions of years, patiently excavating deeper into the earth until great canyons of unparalleled grandeur are created for all to witness with awe and wonder. That said, many of these canyons lack the depth, darkness and vertical intensity of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Guide to Black Canyon
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Situated at the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau, the Gunnison River began carving the Black Canyon an estimated 10-15 million years ago. Today, the canyon is more than 2,700 feet deep and at its narrowest point, is only 40 feet across at the riverbed and about 1,100 feet in width at the canyon rim. The river drops an incredible 34 feet per mile in the Black Canyon, compared with the 7.5 feet per mile drop of the Colorado River in Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park.
The sheer depth and narrowness of the canyon allow very little sunlight into the bottoms of the gorge, leaving a dark world of massive walls that appear black due to near-continuous lack of light. Thus the name Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Visitors can travel the 7-mile South Rim Scenic drive or walk along trails to vistas overlooking canyon walls. Hiking trails are limited, but routes to the river offer more adventurous hikers the opportunity to descend one of the side canyons leading deep into the abyss. Of course, there will be the return trip back up the 2,000 foot cliff.
Some of the rowdiest river kayaking in the states is available to those who know what they’re doing, and rock climbers have a number of challenges on the walls of the Black Canyon. Fishing is popular as well, with anglers finding ample numbers of trout in the park’s streams.
This park is a rarely visited member of the Colorado club. It is not easy to get to, and it is likely that you won’t just pass by its gates without a proper plan. There are no services and no lodging in the park, although campgrounds are available at three separate locations in the park.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a quiet park, free of crowds and congestion. Its walls are rarely viewed by those who don’t seek them out. But hey, you’re a park junkie, and that’s just what you’ll do…
See ya there…
Guide to Black Canyon
Relevant Links
NPS – Black Canyon of the Gunnison
National Park Guides
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