Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Arizona may have the Grand Canyon but in west-central Colorado there is another canyon that should not be overlooked. Black Canyon is the result of multiple episodes of uplift and erosion and the carving power of the Gunnison River over millions of years. The canyon walls drop steeply, veins of unique rocks and minerals adorn the walls like a fine piece of art. Great spires rise above giving it a sense of mystery, and the roaring river, over 2,000 feet below, is the heartbeat that can be heard as you stand on the edge at any of the many viewing locations. It’s deep, it’s steep, it’s narrow and it will blow you away!

On the afternoon of July 10, 2025, an intense thunderstorm sparked a fire in the park. Park Rangers scrambled to quickly evacuate visitors, as the park is located in a wildernesses area with dead-end roads. Everyone got out safely and due to the amazing efforts of firefighting teams and the National Park Service, the North Rim reopened on July 30th, and the South Rim partially opened on August 18th, just four days prior to our planned arrival.

We set up camp at the KOA in Montrose Colorado which worked out well and was close to the South Rim entrance. However, the entrance to the North Rim is in a much more remote area and took us close to an hour and a half to get there, albeit a very pleasant drive. It’s a 78-mile drive from rim to rim, which is important for planning purposes because both rims should be visited for the full experience, especially due to the South Rim fire and potential limited access.

Our emotions swayed from excitement to visit this masterpiece in Colorado, to disappointment that we might miss it due to the fire, then to jubilance that it opened back so soon,. Our timing was perfect but what would be waiting for us, a vast charred wasteland?

As we entered the park boundary at the south rim and crested the top of the canyon, the results of the recent fire became very evident. Charred trees and sagebrush could be seen far into the distance and continued right up to the road. But then as we came to the canyon rim, our focus changed from what was behind us to the magnificent canyon in front of us. The canyons rock walls drop quickly down to the river far below. There’s not much vegetation actually in the canyon, so its natural beauty was mostly undisturbed.

Sitting proud on the edge of the canyon is the wooden beamed Visitor Center, spared completely by the fire although charred brush lay all around it.

Although the South Rim Road has since re-opened completely, during our visit it was only open to the Visitor Center, so our exposure to the South Rim was limited to the Tomichi Point viewpoint and Gunnison Point viewpoint located directly behind the Visitor Center. The Rim Rock Trail, a short hiking trail that meanders along the canyon rim, was also open between these two viewpoints. Tomichi gave us a great introduction to the canyon and some added insights from the volunteer on duty that day, but Gunnison Point just blew us away. After a long leisurely stay, we left the South Rim fully satisfied that we had experienced it fully, besides, how could it get any more magnificent than this?

The next day we took the long, but pleasant, drive to the North Rim. Be sure to use your GPS because we must have made two dozen turns on country roads. We did, however, have cell service until we reached the park boundary. We knew the temperature was going to get a little warm, so we made our first stop at the Ranger Station where we picked up the North Vista Trail for a hike to Explanation Point.

This fairly easy hike was amazing with many surprises along the way such as views of The Painted Wall which we had missed from the South Rim. Unlike the South Rim that we drove right up to, this introduction to the North Rim offered a bit of mystery as we had to hike to the rim. Once we reached the edge of the canyon the views were nonstop, and Explanation Point lived up to its name. Continuing a couple more miles on the trail will lead you up a much steeper climb to Green Mountain Summit. It was warming up quickly, so we passed on this and moved on to the next stop.

TIP: Although the hike to Explanation Point is not a difficult hike there is some decent elevation gain, and you are at 8,000 feet. Also, extreme caution must be exercised while catching those perfect views on the edge of the canyon. Unlike the roadside viewpoints, there are no railings here and the flat slick rock face can be a dangerous hazard.

At the west end of North Rim Road is the short half mile Chasm View Nature Trail and campground. We figured this would be a good spot for a short cooldown walk and a stop for lunch. What we didn’t expect were views that were arguably even better than Explanation Point. Wow, do not miss this short little trail!

The road continues the other direction for four and a half miles with five additional viewpoints along the way. Some of the viewpoints require a short walk to get to and I recommend stopping at all of them. Each view is uniquely different from the other – from the precariously Balanced Rock hanging on the cliffs edge to the mystic spires at Island Peaks. This park just keeps giving and giving.

Although Black Canyon can be fully experienced in two to three days, it’s worth coming back to because it changes at different times of day and with different lighting. I’ve even seen pictures of it with snow cover, which transforms it into something completely different. Additionally, we found many other great things to explore in this area of Colorado.

We arrived in Montrose just in time for the annual Olathe Sweet Corn Festival, a 30-year tradition of honoring the local farmers of Montrose County. Tuxedo Corn, a local grower and supplier of sweet corn, donates corn for the festival where you can savor all the roasted corn you can eat for free at the festival. The daylong event features a large stage with non-stop music, local vendors and a kids play area.

The town of Montrose has everything you need, even tire shops where we were able to get a new set of shoes for the Jeep. The historic main street district is nice with its many shops and restaurants. We specifically enjoyed the Horsefly Brewing Company and The Coffee Trader in addition to the local farm stand for an endless supply of fresh fruits and vegetables – and of course, more sweet corn! Just a little bit south of town is the Lanouse DuBois Winery were we had a very pleasant time sampling their local French style wines.

The Curecanti National Recreation Area is a beautiful destination not far from Montrose. This canyon used to be part of the historic Denver & Rio Grande Western scenic railroad route. There’s even a display of one of the old trains along the way. The recreation area is a network of three alpine lake reservoirs along the Gunnison River with the ability to get right underneath one of the dams. There’s plenty of hiking to do in the area or just just enjoy the beautiful canyon and river from the upper overlook or by a shot walk to the bottom.

For a day of driving, I seriously recommend a trip to Silver Jack Reservoir and the Cimarron River. You can make this into a long loop starting at Cimarron Road (Route 858) off of Highway 50 to Owl Creek Pass (Route 8) over to Ridgway and then back to Montrose on Highway 550. It’s a beautiful smooth gravel road traveling through rolling hills and mature aspen forests. If you’re an old western movie buff you may recognize some of this landscape from True Grit. For additional adventure, check out the three spur roads of East, Middle and West Fork Cimarron River, the latter requiring high clearance 4WD. Be sure to stop in Ridgway on the way back for more western movie nostalgia and a bite to eat or a beverage at the True Grit Cafe.

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area is a diverse recreation area which includes a vast badlands landscape of sandstone hills that is a mecca for Off Highway Vehicles (OHV). We drove the Peach Valley Road along the edge of the playground and watched some of the dirt bikes having fun. There are a couple of Jeep trails here as well, but this is mostly geared towards dirt bikes and ATVs.

Our visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was incredible and to think we almost missed it because of a fire closure! The canyon is magical, and the lack of crowds made the experience even more enjoyable. Whether for a weekend getaway or a longer stay, Black Canyon and the surrounding area makes for an amazing trip. Our only regret was not being able to drive the East Portal Road along the South Rim, but we’re confident that crews will work hard to restore that road damaged from the fire so we can explore it on a return trip someday.

Check out all of our pictures from Black Canyon and beyond. Safe travels and see you down the road a piece.