| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| Region | American Rockies |
| IUCN Category | II (National Park) |
| Watercourse | Gunnison river |
| Location | |
 38 ° 33 ′ 18 ″ N 107 ° 41 ′ 12 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a united states national park located in the state of Colorado.
Understand
This canyon was formed over the last two million years by a river running through soft volcanic soil and then into crystalline rocks. The drop being very important, the water travels through this place at a great speed, thus accelerating the erosion and thus making the canyon deep and narrow. Being located in an area where waterways are rare, wildlife is particularly abundant there, many bird species having found suitable habitat there.
This canyon being very deep and difficult to access, it has long represented an insurmountable barrier for the inhabitants of the region. In 1853, an expedition led by Captain John Williams Gunnison made it possible to explore the interior of the canyon for the first time, before other expeditions made it possible to describe it more precisely, and then dig a tunnel for the irrigation of the canyon. towns below, and finally to develop a railway line and roads for access to this area.
To go
The Park is only accessible by car.
The South Shore is accessible from Montrose, by taking the US-50 road then the CO-347 road.
The north shore (unpaved) is accessible from Crawford, by taking the CO-92 road, then the access track to the Park.
Circulate
Permission to access
As with everything National Park, an access fee is charged at the entrance. He wakes up at 15 $ per vehicle for a period of 7 consecutive days. The interagency card for access to classified sites is also accepted there, and sold at the price of 80 $ : it is valid for one year (plus the current month).
By car
Both shores of the Park are accessible by car. The South Shore is a dead end road while the north shore is a cul-de-sac track. Viewpoints are arranged along these two axes, as well as marked trails. From the south shore, it is also possible to descend into the canyon by road East Portal, prohibited for vehicles over 6,6 m in length, the slope of which reaches in places 16% (descent in 1st gear is recommended).
It is important to note that the North shore and the South shore are not directly connected: two hours by car are necessary to go from one to the other.
To see
Duration of visit
The canyon being narrow and deep, it is more interesting to visit the Park at times when the sun is high, ideally between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Each shore can be hiked in half a day, stopping at each viewpoint.
If you have more time, it is worth taking hiking trails to discover wilder aspects of the Park.
If you have more limited time, it is better to limit yourself to the south shore and stop at the various viewpoints, without going down into the canyon.
Information centers
- 1 South Rim Visitor Center (on the CO-347 road, 11 km north of the intersection with US-50)
from November to April: Mon.- Sun. : 8 h 30 - 16 h ; May, September and October: Mon.- Sun. : 8 h - 17 h ; from June to August: Mon.- Sun. : 8 h - 18 h. – 
In this information center you will find rangers which give advice on visiting the Park, depending on the areas of interest and the time available. A film on the discovery, conquest and development of the place is also shown there. - 2 North Rim Ranger Station open only in summer, intermittently. – This office located on the north shore allows you to pay the entrance fee to the Park and to obtain the necessary permits for activities outside the marked areas. If the center is closed, the same possibilities are offered in self-service.
from November to April: Mon.- Sun. : 
In this information center you will find rangers which give advice on visiting the Park, depending on the areas of interest and the time available. A film on the discovery, conquest and development of the place is also shown there.Viewpoints located on the south shore
- 3 Tomichi Point –
View of the canyon with the steep south shore and the vegetated north shore Viewpoint overlooking both sides of the canyon, with a glimpse of the Gunnison River below. - 4 Gunnison point – Viewpoint closest to the information center, offering a first glimpse of the canyon.
- 5 Pulpit Rock Overlook – Differentiated view on the two sides of the canyon: the south shore, less exposed to the sun and more humid, has undergone more intense erosion than the north shore, which is drier, therefore less eroded and less abrupt.
- 6 Cross Fissures View – Viewpoints over an area where the rocks making up the canyon are cracked horizontally and vertically, giving the impression in some places that the canyon is made up of pieces of stacked rock.
- 7 Rock point – View of clear cracks in the black rock, particular geological formations formed by aggregation of minerals during cooling in the Precambrian era.
- 8 Devils lookout – View of a particularly steep area of the canyon, whose rock faces are streaked with light bands, as in the previous point of view.
- 9 Chasm View – Location where the canyon is very narrow, with less than 400 m between the two banks, and the shallower one, with "only" 530 m depth...
- 10 Painted Wall View – View of cliffs streaked with light bands giving the impression that the rock is painted, whose formation dates back over a billion years. At this location is the tallest cliff in Colorado, with a height of 700 m, or a little less than twice the height of the Empire State building.
Painted Wall - 11 Cedar Point – View of the bottom of the canyon with the Gunnison River.
- 12 Dragon point – Extended view of the western part of the canyon, with the rock formations streaked with light bands.
- 13 Sunset View – Location ideally located to have an exceptional view during sunset.
- 14 High point – View of the canyon and surrounding desert areas, forming hills of light rock.
- 15 Warner point – After a short walk, we reach this point of view which overlooks the deepest location of the canyon, with a depth of 820 m.
Viewpoints located on the north shore
- 16 North Rim Chasm View – View from the north shore over this area where the canyon is very narrow but shallower than in the rest of the Park.
- 17 The narrows view – View of the narrowest location of the canyon, with less than 400 m between the two shores.
- 18 Balanced Rock View – View of the steep faults of the south shore.
- 19 Big Island View – View of the interior of the canyon with its dark rocks streaked with light bands.
- 20 Island Peaks View – View of the canyon and the summit Island Peak located in the canyon at an altitude of 2 326 m.
- 21 Kneeling Camel View – On the left, a cliff has the shape of a kneeling camel, hence the name of the point of view which also offers a panorama on the canyon.
Inside the canyon
- 22 East Portal Road – The cul-de-sac road East Portal allows access to the interior of the canyon. It is very steep (16% slope), winding and prohibited for vehicles over 6,60 m long. It is strongly recommended to go down first. At the end of the descent, the road runs along the river Gunnison between two dams. It is possible to stop to observe the rock walls of the canyon rising to the banks located 600 m upper.
View from inside the canyon
Do
Walk and hike
South Shore
- 1 Rim Rock Nature Trail – This moderate difficulty trail with a length of 1,5 km round trip follows the canyon shore. It is dotted with explanatory panels on the flora present in this sunny area and offers views of the canyon cliffs and the river. Gunnison below.
- 2 Oak Flat Loop Trail – This difficult loop trail with a length of 3 km allows you to begin a descent into the canyon without going to the bottom. It offers spectacular views of the interior and the bottom of the canyon.
- 3 Cedar Point Nature Trail – This easy trail with a length of 1 km return trip allows you to discover the flora present on the banks of the canyon while going to the viewpoint Cedar Point which allows you to see the river Gunnison located 600 m lower.
- 4 Warner Point Nature Trail – This moderate difficulty trail with a length of 2,5 km round trip provides access to the viewpoint Warner point. To have information on the different species of trees present along the trail, it is advisable to take a guide at the starting point. The trail offers views of the surrounding mountain ranges, as well as the river Gunnison and on the canyon.
North Shore
- 5 Chasm View Nature Trail – This moderately difficult loop trail with a length of 500 m allows access to two points of view: the first is located in a constricted area of the canyon while the second allows to see the rocks streaked with light bands, giving the impression that they have been painted.
- 6 North Vista Trail – It is possible to hike this trail up to Exclamation Point then come back to the starting point: on this section, the difficulty is moderate and the course is 5 km ; it is also possible to cover the entire trail: in this case, the difficulty will be greater and the total route has a length of 11 km round trip. The point of view Exclamation Point offers the most beautiful views of the Park on the interior of the canyon, while the end of the trail offers panoramic views of the mountain ranges surrounding the Park, but also an aerial view of the canyon.
- 7 Deadhorse Trail – This moderate difficulty trail with a length of 8 km round trip is an old service road that provides access to different viewpoints over the canyon.
Inside the canyon
There is no marked trail inside the canyon, but it is still possible to hike at your own risk. A permit is required for all activities inside the canyon. It is allocated free of charge (in information centers) to those who request it, but the number of permits distributed daily is limited.
Peach
The portion of the river Gunnison located inside the Park is particularly rich in trout. A fishing license from the State of Colorado as well as a permit for activities inside the canyon (available at information centers, limited number per day) are required to practice this hobby. Rainbow trout must be released into the stream while it is allowed to fish a maximum of 4 brown trout per day.
Water activities
It is possible to kayak in the river Gunnison within the Park, however, this practice is reserved for the most experienced kayakers with adequate equipment, under their sole responsibility.
The rapids in the river are Class V and some sections are not passable. It is essential to pay attention to the poison ivy that grows along the river, its height can reach 1,5 m in places.
Escalation
The canyon being narrow and deep, it offers climbing possibilities for seasoned practitioners only, subject to obtaining a free permit, available at information centers (note, the number of permits issued per day is limited).
The majority of climbing activities are practiced in areas of North Chasm Wall, South chasm wall and Painted Wall which is the tallest vertical wall in the state of Colorado with a height of 685 m. However, it is very difficult to obtain information on the routes available within the Park yourself: the guide Black Canyon Rock Climbs by Robbie Williams is the most comprehensive to date, with 145 routes identified. It is on sale in the South Shore Information Center.
It is also possible to practice rock climbing with a guide, only the companies listed below, with authorization, can offer such services.
- San Juan Mountain Guides 725 Main Street, Ouray,
1 800 462-5389 (free number), fax : 1 866 548-1157, e-mail : [email protected] – Climbing courses from 1 to 5 days within the Park. - Colorado Mountain School 2829 Mapleton Avenue, Boulder, 1 800 836-4008 (free number), e-mail : [email protected] – Full or half-day courses, expeditions organized over several days.
- Crested Butte Mountain Guides PO Box 1807, Creste Butte, 1 970 349-5430, e-mail : [email protected] – Courses offered in the canyon.
Horse riding
- 8 Deadhorse Trail – This track located on the north shore of the canyon is the only area authorized for horses and other transport animals within the Park. No permit is required to ride on horseback, however animals must be transported in tow to the starting point of the trail, which is 8 km round trip.
Skiing and snowshoeing
During the winter, the north shore of the canyon is closed.
The panoramic road along the south shore is not cleared of snow in winter, so that it is possible to practice cross-country skiing on the 10 km located north of the information center, with possible access to different viewpoints.
It is also possible to practice snowshoeing on the paths of the Park, in particular Oak Flat Trail and Rim Rock Trail.
To buy
- 1 South Shore Information Center (South Rim Visitor Center) – A bookstore and a souvenir shop allow you to make purchases in this information center, which is the only shop available within the grounds of the Park.
Eat
The park does not have a restaurant or grocery store, however picnic areas are set up along the south shore. They are equipped with tables and toilets.
Picnic areas
- 1 Pulpit Rock Overlook picnic area
- 2 Sunset View picnic area
- 3 High Point picnic area
- 4 East Portal picnic area – The only picnic area located inside the canyon, by the river Gunnison.
Have a drink / Go out
There is no catering offer within the Park, you have to go to the neighboring towns of Montrose Where Crawford.
Housing
The Park has no hotel offer, the only possibility of accommodation within the site is camping.
Furnished campsites
- 1 South Rim Campground –
- 2 East Portal Campground
- 3 North Rim Campground
Wild camping
Wild camping is allowed in winter within the Park on the south shore, beyond the viewpoint Pulpit Rock Overlook. It is necessary to respect the rules decreed by the Park, in particular the prohibition of wood fires. A free permit, available at the information center, is required.
Around
- 1 Colorado National Monument – A large colorful canyon that can be visited from the interior to go up to the shores.
