Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Colorado

July 2021

A First Impression of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Equipped with the park brochure, we started our visit at Tomichi Point and hiked the Rim Rock Nature Trail toward the South Rim Visitor Center at Gunnison Point. Right at Tomichi Point, we were wowed by an amazing introduction to the park, with magnificent views of the surrounding dark canyon. Walking along the upper edge of the rim, we were treated to even more magnificent vistas and an incredible outlook straight down into the canyon’s dark abyss, where the wild-streaming Gunnison River looked impossibly small far below.

After visiting the South Rim Visitor Center, we continued our hike following the Oak Flat Loop Trail, which drops below the canyon rim, although it didn’t descend all the way to the river. It did, however, give a sense of the canyon’s immense scale as we looked up at the steep rock walls. Returning, we followed the Uplands Trail, which offered yet another different experience. Instead of the canyons and cliffs, we walked through a friendly, open meadow filled with high-desert greenery. The last part of the loop, before we returned to Tomichi Point, was again the Rim Rock Nature Trail, where we were rewarded with yet again mesmerizing view of the Gunnison River.

Framing Nature's Art with Cracks and Spires

Our next stop was at Cross Fissures View, considered one of the best spots in the park for photography. We only had to take a short, easy 0.3-mile (0.5 km) walk to reach the overlook on the edge. This unusual vantage point offered an up-close look at nature’s art, detailing dramatic cracks, jagged spires, wild rock bands, and raw textures.

Top of the World Vistas at Warner Point

The Warner Point Trail offered a one-mile path leading out to Warner Point. The hike was considered moderate overall, although with short, steep inclines and declines. Once there, we stood roughly 2,600 feet above the Gunnison River, giving us an on-top-of-the-world feeling. The spot offered us several vistas of the canyon bends and the river below, all against the massive backdrop of the West Elk Mountains, the San Juan range, and the Uncompahgre Valley.

Saving the Best for Last at Black Canyon

We completed our visit with two short walks to Painted Wall View and Chasm View. I guess we saved the best for last. Looking across the canyon from the first viewpoint shows the highest cliff face in Colorado, with the Painted Wall rising a staggering 2,250 feet from the Gunnison River to the rim. For scale, that is nearly twice the height of the Empire State Building. It is evident how the wall earned its name; the light-colored bands of rock cutting through the dark cliff face look like giant, abstract brushstrokes. Walking to Chasm View underscores just how narrow and deep this canyon really is. At this point, the canyon walls are only 1,100 feet apart from rim to rim, while the drop is over 1,800 feet straight down to the river.

Of course, a single day here only gave us a small glimpse of the canyon’s massive scale, leaving plenty more to explore if we get a chance to visit next time. After this visit, I found this lesser-known national park to be one of my favorites.