One Day at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison

You’ve heard of the Grand Canyon, however you’ve probably never heard of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This national park is an impressive and underrated canyon, filled with dark crevices and patterned rock walls which will leave you in awe. If you are looking for a fun day trip in Colorado, look no further than the Black Canyon of the Gunnison – it’s well worth the effort traveling to get there!

Visit the South Rim

We chose to visit the South Rim as it is more accessible from Gunnison. Traveling west on highway 50 the South Rim is the easiest section of the park to reach. The North Rim is accessed by remote country roads and would have been a much longer drive. The South Rim road has twelve unique viewpoints. If you don’t have time to stop at all of them my favorites are listed below:

Favorite South Rim Viewpoints

Cross Fissures – Offers multiple viewpoints of the canyon.
Chasm View – The closest point to the North Rim, but there is no connection between the two sides without driving several hours. The North Rim viewpoint is actually 1,100 feet away from Chasm View.
Painted Wall – A stunning section of the wall where rocks can be seen in a pattern as though it was painted on the canyon. The impressive size of the canyon is put into perspective by an info board at this viewpoint. It shows how the Empire State building could easily fit inside the canyon with plenty of room to spare!
Dragon Point – In my opinion, this viewpoint is one of the best views in entire the park. Do not skip it!
Hike to Warner Point – The last viewpoint on the trail involves a short 1.5 mile roundtrip hike. The view at the end of the trail is a stunning overlook of the canyon. This is the perfect place to relax and reflect on the day.

Nature at the Black Canyon

During your day trip you will be drawn to the impressive views of the Black Canyon, I encourage you to look around and enjoy the nature at the South Rim. You will find sagebrush, Utah juniper and piñon pine trees are found all around the park. The trees are protected and even the ones that have died cannot be removed from the park.

Old and dead juniper tree — The old and fallen juniper trees are still beautiful!

A nature guide is available for the hike to Warner Point. The guide teaches you about the spiraling tree trunks of the Juniper which can twist 360 degrees. The spiral sends sap around the trunk to give its branches the best chance for survival during harsh conditions. I highly recommend the short hike to Warner Point to enjoy the panoramic canyon views and learn more about the canyon along the way.

You can find this juniper at the Dragon Point viewpoint.

Tips for Visiting the Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Arrive Early

Even though the Black Canyon of the Gunnison is an underrated national park, I always recommend arriving at national parks as early as possible. Arriving early will help you avoid long lines at the gate, over-crowding at viewpoints, and offer more serenity during your visit.

Visit All of the Viewpoints

Twelve viewpoints can be overwhelming and tiring, but I encourage you to visit most if not all of them. Each one has something unique to offer. If the viewpoints appear crowded, then skip some of the first ones and stop on your way out of the park.

Drive East Portal Road

An exciting drive down the twisting East Portal Road will bring you to the river edge and allow you to see the impressive canyon from the bottom. The long, steep road will put the expansiveness of the canyon into perspective. Be sure to keep your car in a low gear to avoid burning out the breaks!

COVID-19 Travel Advice

While many Americans have opted to travel domestically this year due to COVID-19, national park visitors have continued to increase even during the pandemic. This is a perfect time to visit an underrated national park as it does not require reservations. It is possible to visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison safely and you can easily keep your distance from others.

We weren’t battling crowds at any of the viewpoints, but keep your mask with you and wear it while passing other visitors on the narrow trails. There were moments where we waited to take photos at certain viewpoints, but we did this to keep our distance and give other visitors space.

The downside of visiting most national parks during COVID-19 is that most visitor centers are closed. National park visitor centers were always a highlight to learn about the park history, nature, and unique facts. With a little planning and common sense, you can certainly visit this park safely during the pandemic.