Land of Liberty Explorers

Overview

The Black Canyon gets its name because it is so deep and steep that sunlight barely makes it to the canyon floor. The canyon was designated a national monument in 1933 and elevated to a national park in 1999. There are two main entrances to the park. The North Rim entrance is located 11 miles south of Crawford. The South Rim entrance is located 15 miles east of Montrose. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built the North Rim Road and its viewpoints. The North Rim Road is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is closed in winter. Most visitors access the park from the South Rim entrance. Both sides of the canyon offer amazing views.

Black Canyon is Dog Friendly!

The rangers at Black Canyon of the Gunnison are proud that their park is one of the most dog friendly national parks in the system. Dogs are welcome to join their humans at all the overlooks and on a few short trails. Be sure to check which trails are open to dogs when you arrive. Some trails may close to dogs due to animal activity in the area. Our dog, Liberty, was excited about visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison. She seemed to enjoy the views and especially enjoyed all the petting and treats from other park visitors at the viewpoints.

North Rim

The North Rim is much more remote than the South Rim. The last seven miles of the park access road and the entire North Rim Road are unpaved gravel. We enjoyed the solitude on this side of the canyon. There was never more than 1 other car at each view point. There are 5 view points along the North Rim Road: Narrows Overlook, Balanced Rock, Big Island, Island Peaks, and Kneeling Camel. The North Rim’s cliffs are considerably steeper than those along the South Rim. The road is also more rugged, but still accessible in most passenger cars.

South Rim

The South Rim is more heavily trafficked than the North Rim. It has 12 overlooks, some of which require a short walk. Three overlooks are accessible: Pulpit Rock, Chasm View, and Sunset View. The canyon was filled with smoke from wildfires in California the day we visited, but we still enjoyed the views. We started our adventure at the South Rim Visitor Center. Gunnison Point located just behind the visitor center was one of our favorite viewpoints. We also enjoyed seeing the Painted Wall – the tallest cliff in Colorado.

Nearby Attractions

There are several cool sites near Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park that are managed by the National Parks Service or Bureau of Land Management.

Needle Rock

The Bureau of Land Management’s sign marking Needle Rock declares it is an “Outstanding Natural Area” – we agree. Needle Rock is located near Crawford and the North Rim. It is an 800 foot tall intrusive plug of monzonite porphyry. Our favorite view of Needle Rock was from the park access road with the West Elk Mountains visible in the background.

Curecanti National Recreation Area

Curecanti National Recreation Area is a series of three reservoirs on the Gunnison River. There are seven hiking trails and several campgrounds. The view of the Dillion Pinnacles from US-50 Highway can’t be beat!

Colorado Highway 92 Scenic Drive

We took Colorado 92 across the Blue Mesa Dam in Curecanti to the North Rim of the national park. We were amazed by Colorado’s natural beauty!

Montrose

We stayed in Montrose during our visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It is a cute Colorado cowboy town. We booked the Owl Room at the Hodgepodge Peaceful Lodge through AirBnB. Our hosts Diana and Tim made our stay memorable. This is quite a lodge!