Colorado is full of beautiful sights, from the four National Parks to countless other state parks and all around beautiful towns, there is no shortage of amazing views. That might be why Black Canyon of the Gunnison is lesser known, in fact, I’d say it might be the most underrated National Park!
A hidden jewel tucked away in in Western Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison offers stunning views comparable to the Grand Canyon, but without the crowds.
The easiest way to enjoy the views is to simply drive all the way through the park, stopping off at each overlook. For the very adventurous, you can take on one of the hikes below the rim.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison consists of both a North and a South Rim. These two drives are NOT connected except by hiking trails that go into the canyon. It could be doable to see both sides in one day, but you would be rushing through, and it takes almost 2.5 hours of driving outside the park to drive from the South Rim to the North Rim. Both sides have beautiful overlooks and are worth seeing. It is worth noting that the South Rim is open year round to visitors and the North Rim closes during the winter and does not open until the snow is cleared.
Originally established as a national monument in 1933, Black Canyon of the Gunnison was reestablished as a National Park in 1999. Expeditions in the canyon have shown that the gorge has always been a barrier to humans, with only the rims revealing evidence of civilization. Even the Ute Indians who inhabited the area stayed above the menacing gorge.
If you’ve researched the National Park Website, you will notice their constant use of the word “death.” While the canyon is beautiful and awe inspiring, it is also dangerous. All activities here come with a warning, and the National Park Service makes it clear that every visitor is taking on a risk. That being said, it is possible to enjoy this amazing park with your family.
Interesting Facts about the Park:
The gorge is formed by the Gunnison River, which drops an average of 43 feet per mile! This is 6 times more than the drop of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon! These steep cliff walls are what give Black Canyon it’s incredible views. The steepest point is Chasm View where the river descends 240 feet/mile.
Black Canyon gets it’s name from the lack of sunshine in the gorge! Because of the steep cliffs, some areas only see sunlight for 30 minutes a day! The dramatic drop-offs, and narrow river, only about 40 feet wide in some areas, leave little room for sunlight get in.
The biggest cliff in Colorado is found here! The Painted Wall stands at 2,250 feet, only shorter than El Capitan in Yosemite and Notch Peak in Utah. To put that into perspective, this cliff is close to the height of stacking 2 Empire State Buildings!
Top Things to do on the South Rim:
The South Rim is an out and back drive that could take anywhere from one hour to a full day, depending on how many overlooks you stop at and how much time you spend at each. When we visited in April 2021, the crowds were normal level, and we had no trouble finding a parking spot for our van at each overlook. The road is only 7 miles long, but has 12 scenic overlooks. Many are right on the road, some with picnic areas and restrooms, while others require very short hikes to the view point. Here are a few of our favorite overlooks:
Tomichi Viewpoint – You get to this overlook before you reach the visitor center. Here you can get your first glimpse at how beautiful this park is, and there is a great hiking trail that walks the rim from this parking lot to the Visitor Center in one direction, and the Rim Rock Trail heads in the other direction towards the campground. This was a great, short hike for the kids, although some hand holding was necessary with our youngest as there were some steep drop offs in some spots.
Gunnison Point – This might be one of the best views in the park! This easy stop if only about 100 yards form the parking area, and makes a great stop to have lunch. There are picnic tables and two well-maintained areas to take in the panoramic views.
Pulpit Rock – Pulpit Rock is a very popular overlook, offering views of the river and you can really see the scale of the steep walls with the narrow gorge.
Cross Fissures View – Cross Fissures is an extremely fun “hike.” This trail is about 1/3 of a mile and flat, but walks through small trees and bushes and then opens up to one of the mot dramatic views in the park. There is a viewpoint with a chainlink barrier but there is another unobstructed (heart pounding) view to the right.
Devil’s Lookout – This is another lookout that requires a bit of a “hike.” Although the views are better at Cross Fissures and Chasm View, this is a great place to stretch your legs and makes a great photo op if you set up your tripod from the parking area and look out across.
Chasm View – This overlook offers a view of the most narrow portion of the canyon and the section where the river is dropping the fastest, about 240 feet/mile!
Painted Wall – Painted Wall is a beautiful place to see the varied textures in the canyon walls, and is the tallest cliff in the state of Colorado! The colors here are beautiful and it is worth the stop. A ranger told us this is a great spot to take in the sunset if Sunset View is too crowded.
Sunset View – This is the last great view of the canyon on the South Rim Road. (There are a couple of other spots further down the road but they offer views to the South of the valley and not the canyon). We parked our van here and had dinner in the parking lot and waited for sunset. There were a few other people who came and went but it was not crowded at all. There are a couple of picnic tables and restrooms at this point so it makes a great place to sit and take in the view for a while. The sky lit up and provided a gorgeous sunset for us. We left a little bit before dark so that we weren’t driving the South Rim Road back in the dark.
Where to Stay to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison:
This National Park has three campgrounds inside the park, two on the South Rim open year round, and only one on the North Rim open seasonally. You can make reservations for the South Rim on Recreation.gov.
The closest town to the South Rim is Montrose, Colorado. It’s a pretty 30 minute drive to this town which has many independent hotel offerings as well as a few chain hotels like the Holiday Inn Express and the Hampton Inn. Montrose is one of the larger towns in Western Colorado. This makes a great overnight stop for van lifers to grab groceries and maybe get the tires rotated 🙂
We grabbed a camping spot in the KOA in Montrose and had a wonderful stay. The park was quiet, restrooms and shower facilities were clean, and we were able to do our laundry after a long day in the park. This KOA is also very close to many great restaurants and Montrose’s cute downtown area.
Do you have a favorite view in Black Canyon of the Gunnison? Share your tips and experiences with us in the comment section below.