The Black Canyon of the Gunnison changed its status from monument to park on October 21, 1999. The park service commemorated the event by adding 10,000 acres of wilderness to help protect the striking beauty and wildlife habitat of this river corridor.
Sheer near black walls plummet as much as 2,700 feet along the 53-mile stretch of narrow gorge. The 14 miles that lie within the park are like a raw cut in the Earth's crust, exposing geologic viscera and illuminating millions of years of history. On the canyon floor, the Gunnison River rips through the gorge as it did 30 million years ago, when it began carving a chasm into the hard black rock of the Gunnison Uplift.
Though a home to wildlife, the canyon has been a mighty barrier to human beings. Archeological evidence indicates that prehistoric man, and later the Utes, used only the canyon rims, never living in the gorge. Even the group led by Capt. John W. Gunnison, whose name has become permanently attached to the river, bypassed the gorge itself in its search for a river crossing pronouncing the Black Canyon "inaccessible."
Located in West Central Colorado approximately 60 miles Southeast of Grand Junction. The South Rim is open year-round while the less accessible North Rim is closed in the Winters. Activities: Hiking, Fishing, Climbing and Photography.
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