Colorado’s coolest hike is an ancient canyon so dark, it makes the Grand Canyon look cheerful

It’s Dark Down There for a Reason

Black Canyon of the Gunnison sits about 15 miles east of Montrose in western Colorado, and the name tells you almost everything.

The Gunnison River spent two million years cutting through rock that formed 1.7 billion years ago, and it carved walls so steep and narrow that some sections get only half an hour of sunlight a day. The gorge stays in shadow most of the time.

The park protects 14 miles of the deepest, most dramatic stretch of a 48-mile canyon, and the combination of depth, narrowness and sheer vertical drop exists nowhere else in North America.

Pink veins of ancient magma streak the dark walls

Those dark walls are gneiss and schist, metamorphic rock nearly two billion years old. But look closer and you’ll see pink and white streaks of pegmatite cutting across the face.

That pegmatite formed when ancient magma cooled slowly inside the surrounding rock, producing crystals that can grow up to six feet long. The river below drops an average of 43 feet per mile through the canyon.

The Colorado River through the Grand Canyon drops 7.5 feet per mile.

At Chasm View, the river falls 240 feet in a single mile, and the canyon’s deepest point reaches 2,722 feet near Warner Point.

The Painted Wall towers higher than the Empire State Building

Colorado’s tallest cliff rises 2,250 feet from the river to the rim.

That puts the Painted Wall higher than the Empire State Building and nearly four times the height of the Washington Monument.

Bands of pink and white pegmatite give the wall its name, streaking across the dark rock in patterns you can see from above.

A 0.2-mile walk along the Cedar Point Nature Trail on the South Rim takes you to the overlook, and it’s one of the most photographed spots in the park.

Twelve overlooks line seven miles of South Rim Road

The South Rim is where most people start, and paved roads from Montrose get you there without any fuss.

South Rim Road runs seven miles along the canyon edge with 12 overlooks, each giving you a different angle on the gorge below. Plan two to three hours if you want to stop at several.

Gunnison Point sits right behind the visitor center, and Pulpit Rock, Chasm View and Dragon Point spread out along the drive. Some overlooks sit steps from the road.

Others need short walks of up to a third of a mile.

Every rim trail ends with a straight drop below you

Gunnison Point Trail is a paved 0.2-mile path behind the visitor center that puts you right at the edge looking straight down.

The Rim Rock Nature Trail follows the canyon for about a mile through pinyon pine and juniper.

If you want something with a little more to it, the Oak Flat Loop runs 1.4 miles and dips below the rim through a Gambel oak forest.

Cedar Point Nature Trail covers 0.2 miles and leads to two overlooks, including the Painted Wall view. All of them stay on top of the canyon and work for most visitors, though steep drop-offs run close to the edge.

Warner Point’s trail ends with the San Juans on the horizon

Start at High Point, the last stop on South Rim Road, and walk 1.5 miles roundtrip through pinyon pine and juniper. Numbered markers along the trail match a guide brochure you can grab at the trailhead.

The path winds south with views across the Uncompahgre Valley and the San Juan Mountains spread out in front of you. At the end, the canyon opens up below and the landscape stretches in every direction.

The trail rates as moderate, and it’s one of the most popular hikes in the park.

The North Rim takes two hours to reach and it’s worth every mile

No bridge crosses the canyon, so driving from one rim to the other takes two to three hours. You reach the North Rim on unpaved roads about 11 miles south of Crawford, and vehicles can’t get in during winter.

But the trade-off is fewer people. The North Vista Trail leads to canyon views, and if you keep going, Exclamation Point puts you directly above the river looking straight down.

Chasm View Nature Trail covers 0.3 miles through forest to the canyon edge. The quiet here is the whole point.

A 16-percent grade drops you 1,900 feet to the river

East Portal Road is the only way to drive to the canyon floor, and it earns every bit of your attention.

The road descends 1,900 feet in 5.5 miles with a 16-percent grade and sharp hairpin turns that keep your hands locked on the wheel.

At the bottom, you can walk along the Gunnison River, fish, or just stand there and look up at the walls towering above you. The road closes to vehicles from November through April.

Seeing the canyon from below changes the whole experience.

Gold Medal trout water runs through the canyon floor

Colorado designates the Gunnison River through the park as Gold Medal Water and Wild Trout Water, and the fish back it up. Large rainbow and brown trout hold in a wild, self-sustaining population down here.

You’ll need to release all rainbow trout and stick to artificial flies and lures.

The most accessible stretch runs about two miles along the road near East Portal, where you can work the water without a long hike in. Bring a valid Colorado fishing license, because you’ll need one.

The Milky Way shows up with your bare eyes here

Black Canyon earned International Dark Sky Park certification in 2015, and the location explains why. No large cities sit close enough to wash out the sky, and the park manages its own lighting to keep things dark.

On clear nights, you can pick out the Milky Way, planets and more stars than you can count without a telescope. The park runs ranger-led astronomy programs with telescope viewing during summer and fall.

The Black Canyon Astronomical Society partners with the park to host star parties and group events throughout the season.

Bighorn sheep cling to the walls and falcons nest on the cliffs

Mule deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion and bobcat all live within the park.

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep show up on the steep canyon walls, where the rugged terrain keeps predators at a distance.

Peregrine falcons nest on the cliffs, and the park closes certain climbing routes from March through July to protect them during nesting season.

Down at the canyon floor, river otters move along the Gunnison River. The park supports close to 260 animal species across its different elevations and habitats.

A 2025 wildfire changed the South Rim but not the canyon

A lightning-caused wildfire in July 2025 burned about 4,232 acres on the South Rim, destroying most of the South Rim campground and several park facilities.

South Rim Road, the visitor center and all 12 overlooks have reopened, but some trails remain partially closed and campground repairs may still be in progress. The North Rim campground was not affected.

The South Rim landscape looks different from older photos and guidebooks now, but the canyon views remain as dramatic as they’ve always been.

Check the official website for the latest conditions before you go.

Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado

You can reach the park off U.S. Highway 50 and Colorado Highway 347, about 15 miles east of Montrose. The South Rim Visitor Center stays open year-round with canyon exhibits, ranger information and a bookstore.

The park covers about 30,750 acres and became a national park in 1999 after holding national monument status since 1933.

It’s one of four national parks in Colorado and consistently the least visited, so you’ll find a quieter experience than what Rocky Mountain National Park delivers.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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