Top 5 things to do
What are the best things to see and do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison?
Here are our top 5 things to see and do while visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Fishing gold medal waters of the gunnison river
watch the sunset at sunset view on the south rim
camping on the canyon floor under a blanket of stars
hike trails along both rims + miles of back country trails
explore, discover + photograph nature
Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a remarkably beautiful hidden gem tucked away in the western half of Colorado, it is no surprise that it was officially founded as a National Monument in 1933, and went on to be made into a National Park in 1999. Black Canyon of the the Gunnison National Park is surrounded by Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest - Land of Many Uses. Humans have inhabited the area for eons, with evidence pointing to early nomadic hunter gatherers in the area around 12,000 B.C.
On our Colorado bucket list, Jordan and I were excited to experience camping at Black Canyon of the Gunnison and enjoy weather a little more warm and dry after exploring the tops of the mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park the last few days. Driving up, over and through the Rocky Mountain Range, we were greeted by even more breathtakingly beautiful scenery than we could have imagined throughout western Colorado. With more of a rustic American frontier vibe that felt comfortable and homey for the two of us Texas natives, everywhere we looked there was more to see. After a while one could get pulled into the colors and textures dashed and blended into the mountainsides, authentic only to nature, a daydream of sorts. We took turns driving and sightseeing; we took many stops, pull offs and a turn-around or two, reminding ourselves to enjoy the moment without feeling the need to be rushed. Here, I found myself taking more wide angle shots and expanse photos of the scenery, earth in her natural state. A 360 degree camera would be a great addition to your arsenal of equipment to pack for Colorado, especially if you venture over the snow capped Rockies, across the Continental Divide and into the vast expanse of the Colorado Western Slope.
If you find yourself wondering what to pack for a camping trip at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, look no further! You can find a detailed packing list for camping in National Parks here. The campgrounds at Black Canyon are very similar to most National Parks: big focus on nature with minimal facilities. There is no cell reception in any area of the park, so plan accordingly! Electricity is available at the South Rim campground only. There are also no shower facilities available in the park. You will find a vault toilet at each campground: South Rim, North Rim and the Canyon Floor. Potable water is also available at all campgrounds when in season, along with bear boxes to safely store your scented items (food, toiletries, etc). It is also good to note that the North Rim campground is considered the most remote, offering 13 first-come first-serve sites. The last 5+ miles of road and the campground itself is not paved, however an all-terrain vehicle is not needed to navigate it, so do not let that hold you back from exploring the North Rim and all Black Canyon has to offer.
We arrived at our campsite at South Rim Campground just in time to quickly set up and start cooking dinner as the sun set around us in an explosion of color. Witnessing a sunset at Sunset View is an incredible experience that I would recommend everyone to have at least once in their lifetime. The camp sites at South Rim offer at each site: electricity hook up, a bear box, and a water spigot. There is a vault toilet available that is kept quite clean and stocked with hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Campsite hosts on duty and a short distance to the South Rim Visitor's Center. There are several pull off spots and short trails along the South Rim. We found it worthwhile to stop and check out each one! Each angle brought a different view of the canyon walls across from us; we found a giant rock that looked like a hand, trees that grew at a ninety degree angle straight out of a wall, then up and spent ample time gazing out into the vast expanse of the west.
A steep drive down canyon-clinging East Portal Road to the floor of the canyon complete with stunning views, a few pull off points and many switchbacks found us at the East Portal Campground. We chose a pull in site and set up camp early - first come first serve here. The East Portal Campsites have a water spigot at each site, ample room in the shared bear boxes, and a vault toilet complete with toilet paper, hand sanitizer and kept clean. The first loop you come upon offers the pull in sites, and continuing along the campground road will lead you to the second half of the campground with several walk in sites. This is a dark skies park which made it a perfect night under the stars to photograph the Milky Way. The top place to see wildlife in Black Canyon of the Gunnison is definitely at East Portal Campground. We really enjoyed the wildlife in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We were greeted by a fawn frolicking through our campsite at sunrise the first morning, her mother close behind as they made their way down through the walk in sites below us. We saw blue jays and loved listening to their song. A bevy of swan landed in union in the Gunnison river as we hung out around the river bank. Truly a remarkable experience. Casual Colorado things!
As we explored the National Park, looking at the unique rock formations all around us, we found ourselves asking, "What caused all of this?" "What caused Black Canyon of the Gunnison to form?"
Interestingly enough, the canyon itself depicts a unique story of geological time.
Geologists state that the canyon walls, comprised mainly of metamorphic rock, are approximately 1.8 billion years old themselves. This area of metamorphic rock, known as Gneiss, rose up from deep within the earth some 60 million years ago, forming the bulk of the tall canyon walls we see today. Known as the Gunnison Uplift - the walls themselves reach heights up to near 3000 feet. Then, somewhere near 30 million years ago, a pair of very large volcanoes erupted on either side of the uplift, dousing the surrounding area in volcanic rock and helping to establish the course of the Gunnison River.
Finally, estimated around 2 million years ago, the Gunnison River started cutting it's way through the volcanic schist and Mesozoic sedimentary rock in significant force to form the fast flowing channel it is today. The Gunnison river is known for being designated Gold Medal fishing waters by the Colorado Wildlife Commission. Gold Medal Fishing waters claim to be able to produce 60lbs of trout per acre with at least twelve 14" or larger trout per acre! The river is beautiful and we enjoyed hanging down along the banks, fishing leisurely - it wasn't long before Jordan caught a beautiful brown trout. The Gunnison River flows east to west and is continually fed by many rivers and streams across Colorado, both small and large. The river itself is tributary of the Colorado River, it and the entire Gunnison River Basin play a major role in supplying water for the Southwestern United States.
In present day we are currently coming around full circle whereas we have the ability to witness the effects of erosion from both sides of the canyon, along with the differences in how the walls on each side have started to deteriorate back into the earth over time with the effects of sun, wind, rain and of course - snow. Fascinating!
On our last morning camping on the canyon floor we picked up and cleaned up our campsite, always making certain to practice leave no trace, packed the Tahoe and hit the road for our next adventure! Where should we go next?
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