The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is one of the least known national parks and that is a travesty. I admit, I wasn’t too familiar with this park myself. Located in western Colorado, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison did not gain National Park status until 1999, making it the second youngest national park in the U.S. The Black Canyon is named so because the walls are often covered in shadows making them appear black. These steep walls were formed over 1.7 billion years ago. Another awesome note on this park is that it contains 12 out of the 48 mile-long canyon of the Gunnison River.
For most national park or outdoors enthusiast, you want to experience as much as possible in your travels. Planning trips can be difficult and offer time restraints. Exploring most national parks you need anywhere from 3 days to two weeks. On my recent Colorado road trip, I planned for one day at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. There is a North and South Rim. This guide will be for the South Rim only. This rim is more developed and accessible. Can you explore the entire South Rim in 24 hours? The answer is yes. The best time to visit is April to November. We stayed in Montrose, which is about 15 minutes from the park. The downtown is pretty cool. Oh, and there is an amazing donut shop, Montrose Donut and Deli Shop. The best donuts I had in Colorado. Get the biscuit donut. I digress…..
The South Rim is comprised of a modest 7 mile loop with 12 spectacular overlooks. I suggest to stop at each overlook. A lot of the overlooks do require walking a short trail but nothing strenuous. I would not miss out on Painted Wall, Cedar Point and Sunset View. There are multiple hikes on the South Rim. I went out of my way to do them all and to be honest, if you are stressing for time, skip the hikes. If camping is your thing, there are campgrounds here. Lastly, do NOT leave the park without driving down East Portal Road. I cannot recommend that enough. There is no crowd concern at this park. I counted maybe 30 people on a Friday in mid-May. I read the peak of the visitors stroll through in July. There are even less visitors on the North Rim, which is a 3 hour drive from the South Rim. However, the views are even more dramatic from the North Rim. The scenic driving was amazing. This park should be way more popular. The views were ridiculous. One of the best experiences I had in a national park. Here’s my guide to the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
How to get there
Black Canyon’s South Rim is about 14 miles from Montrose and 63 miles from Gunnison. To get there from Montrose, travel 7 miles north on CO Highway 347 from the intersection with U.S. Highway 50 east of the city.
Viewpoints (South Rim)
The first viewpoint that visitors will see entering the park is Tomichi Point. This is right off the side of the road, no hiking needed. The second viewpoint, Gunnison Point, is located right behind the visitor center. A short path down some steps leads views of the canyon facing northwards. The view is more vivid than Tomichi Point and there is sneak peak of the ravine.
The next viewpoint is about two miles down the road at Pulpit Rock Overlook. There is a 134 yard trail leading to this area. The canyon really opens here with the river in view as it curves around a 90 degree bend. Cross Fissure View offers a different a unique look at the canyon. The river is not visible and most of the canyon is hidden. There is a view of overlapping ridges and crevasses from multiple angles. This viewpoint is a 357 yard walk.
Rock Point is a less traveled path at 294 yards. The longer the path the less visitors you will see. Devils Lookout is the longest path at 607 yards. This path goes right the edge of the rims for great views including the river and the valley. Both this and Rock Point lie above the narrowest part of the entire canyon.
Chasm View is one of those jaw dropping views. This is a very short path off the road above the steepest part of the whole canyon. Painted Wall View is almost adjacent to Chasm View. This may be the most well-known viewpoint. Painted Wall is the highest cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet and a half mile across.
Every viewpoint from here on is a must see. Cedar Point is a 303 yard path overlooking the lower canyon. This is a spectacular view as you can see 1.5 miles of the river, flowing rapids, and some greenery below. Next up, Dragon Point offers very similar views. The widening ravine enclosing colorful waters of the river. This can be reached by a path of 300 yards.
Sunset View was one of my favorites. This is the westernmost viewpoint along the South Rim road. There is large parking area along with restrooms and picnic tables. This a great place to soak in amazing views of the canyon. This is the longest stretch of V shaped canyon. The last viewpoint is another mile down the road, High Point. There’s not much to this but you have to pass this in order to turn around and head back.
The Hikes (South Rim)
At the end of South Rim road, there is a parking lot where the Warner Point Trail begins. This a 1.5 mile out and back that takes you to the furthest overlook on the South Rim. The trail starts flat with views of green fields 1,000 feet above Bostwick Park. The trail begins to climb slowly then drops and ascends again before reaching the final viewpoint. This overlook offers stunning views of the San Juan Mountains, West Elk Mountains, Uncompahgre Valley, and the canyon. If you choose a hike in the South Rim, this would be the one I suggest.
Warner Point
The Oak Flat Loop begins by the visit center. The trail is narrow and traverses down a steep slope. This offers a peek at the landscape below the canyon’s rim. This is the most challenging hike in the South Rim with steep uphill and downhill portions. In total, the loop is 2 miles.
Rim Rock Nature Trail starts at the visit center or the Campground Loop C entrance. You can even hop on this trail from Tomichi Point. This relatively flat hike takes you along the rim of the canyon for views of the Gunnison River and sheer walls of the gorge below. This can be between 1-2 miles.
East Portal Road River Access
Located right at the entrance/exit to the park, you will see the access for East Portal Road. This is a 5 mile road with a significant decline (16% grade) with hairpin turns taking your car to the base of Black Canyon. This is the only way to get down into the canyon. Once arriving at the bottom, the views from down below are gorgeous. The picturesque surroundings of the beautiful lake and the cliff walls of the canyon from up above are majestic. By far the coolest experience I had in the park. I was just in awe. I read a lot of things online and it made it sound dramatic and dangerous to drive down. Any car/van can handle it. Vehicles with an overall length (including trailer) greater than 22 feet are prohibited. Trailers may be left unhitched and left at a parking area at the campground entrance. This road is closed in the winter. Just be smart about driving down. It took us about 30 minutes. This is a bucket list type event. Don’t chicken out!
The drive down into the canyon.
HIKING FOR DONUTS
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every change I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
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