black canyon of the gunnison

Gunnison Canyon

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison River National Park was a majestic spectacle of nature’s contrasts: a mountainous landscape that bore the mark of the Gunnison river’s relentless carving, as well as a serene river canyon that offered a refuge of tranquility in a verdant riparian forest.

I was drawn to this awe-inspiring park by its contrast a few years ago and explored its diverse landscapes, where I felt a surge of curiosity at every turn. I wished I had delved deeper into the mysteries of geology as I gazed down from the cliff’s edge at the profound chasm, whose steep walls were adorned by intricate patterns of minerals that had emerged from the rock.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
CO USA

A National Parks Journey - Black Canyon of the Gunnison

From Great Sand Dunes, where I had spent the previous night, I took my time to get to the town of Gunnison, going over scenic byways that followed the headwaters of the Rio Grande (that I visited a few months prior in Big Bend National Park), eventually making it to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This Park had mesmerized me for the longest time with its dramatic nomenclature - named for one the pitch black depths at the bottom of the steepest river canyons in the country. At over 2700 ft deep in places and barely 50 ft wide at the bottom, even pictures can't do justice to the raw jagged terrain of this narrow canyon.

I spent my time viewing the sheer scale of its steep walls from the many viewpoints on the south rim where thoughtfully placed displays explained the history and geology of this park. And even though the river was barely visible from the top, these displays explained how over the eons, the erosive power of water cut through hard schist rock formations, exposing the veins of iron that you see in the above image of the Painted Wall.

Despite its small size, the park is worth a visit, if only to observe and grasp the power of natural forces in carving out a deep scar in the earths crust.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
CO USA

A land of contrasts

I looked up at the trail, now climbing steeply through a dense undergrowth. It wasn't supposed to be a very long hike, a paltry 3/4 of a mile. But it was tiring. The cloudless afternoon sky had left me hot and dry, and shade of the undergowth provided little respite against the afternoon heat.

It had been a long day, driving from the desert sand dunes of central Colorado, across the continental divide, to the crumpled geology of western Colorado, with over 5 hrs of sinuous highways surpassing 10000ft and grand views of the spine of the country. While the scenery was breath-taking, the thin air was taking my breath away. And by the time I had started my hike at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, my body was already shutting down.

The summit of the ridge beckoned, and I mustered every bit of energy to pull myself up the trail. And I was glad I did, for this was when the grand views of the Montrose basin and the San Juan mountains beyond.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
CO USA

The Gaping Hole

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