Last updated on July 12th, 2026
Looking for the best things to do in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park? In this guide we’re sharing everything you need to know before visiting this gorgeous park, including the best hikes, itinerary options, where to stay, tips for the area, and more!
Before we visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park we had read that it was one of the least visited US national parks, especially in Colorado where it is overshadowed in visitation by Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, and Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Knowing this made us extra excited to visit, as we have found that some of our favorite places in the United States are the more underrated, less busy spots. And Black Canyon of the Gunnison definitely did not disappoint!
The scenery at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was unlike anywhere we have ever been, with steep and narrow canyon walls and a beautiful river rushing between them. And unlike the San Juan Mountains just an hour away, which rise high into the sky and are easy to spot for miles, Black Canyon of the Gunnison feels like a hidden gem, as it is only viewable by driving right up to it.
Watch our experience at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park’s South and North Rims!
We spent one very jam packed day exploring both the South Rim and North Rim of this park and were able to experience so much, from the easy to access overlooks to the intense inner canyon routes.
And in this guide we’re sharing all of the best things to do in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, all of our tips from our own experience at both rims, and some itinerary options to help you plan your own adventure.
Looking to visit more National Parks? Check out our guides to the best West Coast, East Coast, and Southwest National Parks!
About Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is located in Western Colorado, near Montrose and gets its name because some parts of the canyon receive only 33 total minutes of sunlight per day because of how steep and narrow the canyon is.
But long before it became a national park in 1999, this area was referred to by the Ute Native Americans as “much rocks, big water” and was avoided. And in 1853, when explorer John Williams Gunnison went through the area he echoed their statement, calling it “the roughest, most hilly and most cut up” land he had traversed.
The canyon is 48 miles long, with 14 miles of it in the national park, and at its deepest point, Warner Point, it reaches 2,722 feet. In comparison, the deepest part of the Grand Canyon is about 6,000 feet deep and Hell’s Canyon in Idaho is 8,043 feet! If you compare it to man made structures such as the Great Pyramids (449 ft) and the Empire State Building (1,250 ft), it would tower above them and would even beat the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa (2,717 ft), by 5 feet!
While there are canyons that are deeper and longer, none combine the depth, sheerness, darkness, and narrowness of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The canyon has some of the steepest and oldest exposed rock in North America and at its narrowest point is only 40 feet wide.
Beyond the canyon, the park is also home to the Gunnison River, which drops an average of 43 feet per mile through the canyon, which is six times more than how much the Colorado River drops through the Grand Canyon.
Before embarking on your adventure, please review the Leave No Trace principles to ensure you leave every place better than you found it, so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come!
These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in!), understanding campfire rules and always fully extinguishing your fires, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors.
