Black Canyon of the Gunnison Natl. Park can be found near Montrose Colorado.  We found this park to be a beautiful, fun stop on our 2007 tour. It's one of Americas steepest canyons plunging 2,722 feet at its greatest depth, and narrowest canyons  at only 1,500 feet across at it's narrowest point. To take in the full beauty of the canyon we recommend driving down to the Gunnison River and also traveling along the canyon rim.

Those wishing to drive to the Gunnison River can take the East Portal Road (closed during winter). The road is extremely steep (15-percent grades) with hairpin curves. We enjoyed the twisty road down to the bottom of the canyon to see the Gunnison River up close and to look up the sheer walls of the cliffs, to the top. Then we road back up to the top and along the rim.

The seven-mile South Rim Drive meanders along the canyon rim from Tomichi Point to High Point. The drive leads to 10 overlooks where you can stop to take in  the astonishing chasm that lies below. We strongly urge you to pull over at Chasm View, Pulpit Rock, Sunset View, and Gunnison Point. A visitor's center at Gunnison Point features exhibits on the canyon.  Most of the overlooks are reached by walking a short trail, and are worth the trek to get a closer view of the beautiful knife-edged cliffs, and the sheer walls, plunging to startling depths, to the river below. Allow a couple of hours to view several overlooks.  At Dragon Point, on the south rim, you can look across to the Painted Wall that rises a sheer 2,200 feet above the river. The white veins in the rock criss-cross the black cliffs and provide a spectacular site. On our visit we were lucky enough to see deer in the campground and Peregrine falcons swooping down to catch their prey of smaller birds.

If you want to spend more time in this beautiful national park you can pitch a tent 2,000 feet above the Gunnison River at the South Rim Campground. The campground sits near the canyon rim and offers 102 sites equipped with tables, grills, and pit toilets.  The North Rim Campground has 13 sites with similar amenities. Additional campgrounds are available at Curecanti National Recreation Area, Ridgeway Lake, and Crawford Lake State Recreation Areas. Private campgrounds are located near Montrose, Delta, and Cimarron.

National Park entrance fee is $7 per person for motorcycles. If you plan on visiting several parks in a year, we recommend getting an annual pass.  You can get more information at the National Parks Service website. To get more information on Black Canyon of the Gunnison Natl. Park, visit this website. Black Canyon Natl. Park

Leah Lind