Several canyons of the American West are longer and some are deeper, but none combines the depth, sheerness, narrowness, darkness, and dread of the Black Canyon
- Duane Vandenbusche
Up until I visited the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, I thought that the canyons of the Canyonlands and of Zion were some of the most impressive examples of the impact of hydrological forces. That changed when I peered over the edge of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River: a vertical dropoff of 1800ft below me, and a sheer cliff face rising equally high on the opposite side of the gorge barely a quarter mile away, all created by a sliver of river threading through this narrow gorge.
Seeing that gaping hole cut through miles of rocky terrain really put into perspective the sheer power of nature. The river, tamer now, must have been one of the most powerful forces to cut through such a geology, revealing patterns in the rock the likes of which I had never seen before. states:
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was out there, but I am glad I explored this gem of a National Park.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
CO USA