Most people have never heard of this national park (recently upgraded from a national monument). That's a shame, because it's a true national treasure to rival many of its more well-known counterparts. It is off the beaten path, but if you can make it to the area DON'T MISS this canyon. Its remoteness means there are fewer visitors so it's not as crowded as the more popular parks. The views of the sheer canyon walls and deep crevice canyon with the wild river in the bottom are breath-taking. There is a scenic drive that is less than 10 miles long, with several stops for viewing the canyon. Some of them require a short hike (up to a 1/4 mile one-way, hard-packed dirt and rock trails). There is a very nice, new visitor center with a viewing platform, exhibits, restrooms and gift shop. There is no restaurant at this park but there may be snacks at the gift shop. There is not a lot of shade and the sun is intense at this elevation; be sure to bring hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. For people in wheelchairs or with mobility impairments, the best stops are at Tomichi Point, the visitor center, Chasm View, and Sunset View. Allow a minimum of 2 hours - all day if you really want to hike and explore. There is a fee to enter the park, but they do accept the national park passes. If you have time, visit Blue Mesa Reservoir to the east for more spectacular scenery.
Visiting Montrose, on the last day went to the Black Canyon. We saw the LARGEST black bear on the way up to the canyon I have ever seen, even though he sat there staring at us we still weren't able to get a photo. That being said, we got a ton of pics of beautiful scenery at the canyon. We did not make it to the bottom but it was absolutely spectacular!
Very exciting views of the canyon and a number of stops for viewing. Sometimes you can see climbers on the canyon walls although we did not see any on this trip. Deep in the canyon you can see the Gunnison River flowing.
Park road was devoid of snow and large visitor center (next to old and new central lookouts from the southern rim) was open and to tasty warm. 20-minute park video was interesting. Winter snow was being removed from the rest of the south rim road (13 was open, but that was plenty to see 2/3 of the canyon during a one-hour visit), so more will be open - visitor center receives constant calls asking about this and seems very helpful. North rim and East Portal steep road to canyon floor are not open in winter. Ask for all of the printed guides at the visitor center, as there are 5-6 different ones, not just the main park guide. Map selection in the store is the most diverse I've ever seen, with a large book and stuffed animal section for kids.
In just 1 word all you can say is " WOW "When you arrive in the park, all you can see is the impressive canyon and it's clear why it's called the Black Canyon. After a stop for information at the visitor center you can walk down to shoot some pictues from the scenic views and look at the beautiful canyon. Driving through the steep mountain road you can see plenty of wildlife and enjoy yourself sitting beside the river bank. The water was all green and we had a great time spending our day is this park.
I dunno what else to say other than, GO THERE!!! Seriously, I can't imagine what soulless heathen wouldn't be moved by this place!I was there is the winter, so in addition to being awesome, it was free!!!
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is definitely a place you have to seek out. There are deeper canyons and more narrow canyons but none in North America that are so astonishing a combination of the two qualities. You might assume from a map that you can "see" this park in an hour, but some of the overlooks require a short walk and every overlook presents a different perspective. We were at the South Rim at the height of the season and saw no more than four other vehicles. I've been to the North Rim, accessible by a long gravel road, and it you can be even more alone there. The modern visitor center and its film on South Rim are worthwhile.
I've now been to the Grand Canyon and now the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The Black Canyon is more impressive because there are not so many tourists. The scenic views from the roads are spectacular – go and enjoy.
We added on a detour to Gunnison as part of our 4-week road trip and were so glad we did. The Black Canyon has a very different feel to it, quite unusual, but definitely worth seeing. Not crowded like many of the more popular parks - we practically had the whole place to our selves.
What an unusual canyon to behold. The depth of this canyon is mind-blowing! We did the drive on both sides of the canyon, it takes 2-3 hours to do the drive from one side to the other, but you get such a different perspective looking at the canyon from both sides. The shadows cast on the canyon walls when the sun starts to set make for great pictures. This canyon should definitely be on everyone list to visit.