The Narrow Colorado Gorge Where Sunlight Reaches the River Floor for Just 33 Minutes Each Day

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Black Canyon drops deeper than the Empire State Building is tall, holds some of North America’s hardest climbing routes, and still somehow flies under the radar.

Colorado’s least-hyped national park happens to be one of its most impressive, and you get to learn more about it.

Deep, Steep, & Narrow Cliffs

The Black Canyon is so narrow that the distance between the canyon walls is as little as 40 feet, creating a dramatic visual effect. The canyon drops 240 feet for every mile, creating one of North America’s steepest descents.

In some spots like Chasm View, they’re nearly vertical at 87 degrees. The canyon’s narrowness and depth result in some areas receiving less than an hour of direct sunlight daily.

River Cuts Through Ancient Rock

The Gunnison River erodes the hard Precambrian rock at one inch every century. Its descent within the park averages 240 feet per mile, making it one of North America’s steepest river gradients.

The water slices through rock that’s nearly 2 billion years old. These ancient walls show distinct stripes of pink and dark stone.

Climb the Challenging Rock Walls

The canyon offers more than 145 traditional climbing routes, with most rated 5.10 or harder. Classic routes like “Maiden Voyage” (5.9, Grade III) and “Scenic Cruise” (5.10+, Grade V), require major expertise.

You’ll need to finish your climb in one day since overnight stays aren’t allowed, and you can’t leave any anchors behind. Most people climb from April to October, though summer heat in the canyon can top 100°F.

Peregrines Hunt at Record Speeds

The world’s fastest birds make their home on the ledges of Black Canyon. These amazing hunters dive at speeds over 200 mph to catch their prey.

Between March and July, you can watch these falcons raise their young on the canyon walls. They use the cliffs as launching points and ride the warm air currents while hunting smaller birds like ducks, varieties of songbirds, and shorebirds.

Hear Whispers Across the Canyon

The narrow canyon with its straight walls creates unusual sound effects. You might hear someone talking normally at the rim even if they’re standing at the river far below.

The rushing Gunnison River creates a constant background noise that bounces off the walls. Certain areas within the canyon may create “acoustic shadows,” where sound waves are blocked or diffused due to the canyon’s shape.

The Longest Irrigation Tunnel

Workers dug the 5.8-mile Gunnison Tunnel through solid rock in 1909 using compressed-air drills and dynamite. They started digging from both ends and met in the middle, matching up almost perfectly with less than a foot of difference.

The tunnel moves water from the Gunnison River to water farmland in the Uncompahgre Valley. It can water 150,000 acres of farms and held the record for the longest irrigation tunnel for many years.

Canyon Creates Its Own Weather

When you’re standing at the rim in 70°F weather, the bottom of the canyon can be baking at 100°F.

These big temperature swings happen because of the canyon’s unique shape. Different parts of the canyon get different amounts of sun and shade.

You’ll find snow lasting into spring on the north-facing slopes, while the sunny south-facing walls feel like a desert.

The Poison Ivy Here Grows Thick

Unlike regular poison ivy, the plants in Black Canyon grow into thick vines up to 3 inches wide. They especially like growing in the cooler, damper spots near the river.

These huge vines climb up the canyon walls instead of spreading along the ground like normal poison ivy.

While they’re the same plant species, these giants pack more of the Urushiol that causes itchy rashes.

The Highest Wall Shows Nature’s Art

The Painted Wall is Colorado’s tallest cliff at 2,250 feet high. Light-colored stripes run through the dark rock wall in striking patterns.

These natural designs formed when hot liquid rock squeezed into cracks about 1.4 billion years ago. Now the wall looks like a giant abstract painting.

Even the dark rock’s super old, Precambrian gneiss, dating back approximately 1.7 billion years.

Catch Trophy Fish If You’re Brave

The river holds brown and rainbow trout with estimates suggesting that there are approximately 41 to 70 trout measuring at least 14 inches per acre.

To reach these prime fishing spots, hike down the steep trails that drop as much as 240 feet per mile.

Anglers are permitted to keep up to four brown trout daily, with a possession limit of eight. Only artificial flies and lures are allowed; bait is prohibited.

Stargazing Across Several Points

Since the park sits far from city lights, it’s certified as an International Dark Sky Park. On clear nights, you can spot up to 5,000 stars without a telescope, while city dwellers typically see fewer than 500.

The dark canyon walls frame the starry sky perfectly at 8,000 feet elevation. The best times for stargazing are during new moon phases or summer months when the moonlight does not interfere with visibility.

Experience All Four Seasons

The canyon changes dramatically through the year. Winter brings below-zero temperatures and ice-covered walls, while average highs in summer reach up to 75°F.

Spring decorates the rim with wildflowers, and fall turns the oak and aspen leaves into bright colors.

You can drive the South Rim year-round unless it snows, but the North Rim Road closes for winter (mid-November to late April).