Hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison can easily be accomplished in one day if you are wanting to see the highlights of this amazing national park. This park is one of the least visited national parks in the country, and it is also fairly small compared to some of the more visited national parks. Known as the Grand Canyon of Colorado, this canyon sits over 4,700 feet deep. In addition to hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison, you can get a special permit to fish in Gunnison River, and I also saw people swimming and kayaking in the river. On a hot day, that would be so refreshing! This itinerary focuses on exploring South Rim and East Portal Road.
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How to Get to Black Canyon of the Gunnison
The nearest town to Black Canyon of the Gunnison is Montrose, Colorado which does have a regional airport. Montrose is only 15 minutes from the entrance of the national park. However, this part of Colorado is not near Denver or any other major city. Therefore, I recommend visiting here as part of a longer Colorado road trip. The drive straight from Denver would take you nearly 5 hours.
What Time of Year to Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison
The South Rim road is closed from November to April, so the best time to visit is during the summer when the road is guaranteed to be open. We visited in July when there was a heat dome, and the temps were a sweltering 95 degrees F. However, July also was perfect for beautiful wildflowers throughout the park. May, June, September, and October are probably your best months to visit to avoid extreme heat and summer crowds. And I use the word “crowds” loosely because the lack of visitors at this park means there are few crowds all times of the year.
Entrance Fee for Black Canyon of the Gunnison
You will need to purchase a park pass to enter this national park. The entrance fee to the park is $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. You may want to consider purchasing an America the Beautiful park pass, which will allow you into all national parks for a year for one single fee. The American the Beautiful Interagency pass is $80. Also, if you have a 4th grader in your household, you can get a family pass for free to the national parks that is good for a year. Find out more about that benefit here.
Where to Stay When Visiting
If you want to stay inside the national park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison offers 3 campgrounds: South Rim Campground, North Rim Campground, and East Portal Campground. East Portal Campground is located at the bottom of the canyon next to Gunnison River. The other two are located on the north and south rims. If you stay here, know that bear sightings in the campgrounds are common, so you should practice bear safety. Reservations can be made at recreation.gov.
If camping is not your forte (which it is not mine), then you can stay at a hotel or motel in the town of Montrose, located just 15 minutes away from the park entrance. A couple options include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Montrose and Quality Inn & Suites.
What to Pack for Your One Day Hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison
- Water!! Whether you use a hydration backpack or carry bottled water, make sure to pack plenty of water! There is a water fountain at the Visitor Center, so you can fill your bottle there.
- Sunscreen – Protect your skin from the sun, and do not forget to reapply.
- Hat – More sun protection to block the sun from your face
- Hiking shoes/boots – Some of the hikes are on steep, slick rock, and people wearing regular tennis shoes struggled to keep their footing. Here are the men‘s version of the hiking shoes I love.
- Hiking socks – The best way to prevent blisters is by keeping your feet dry. Moisture-wicking socks are the best way to do that.
- Backpack – A backpack is a necessity when hiking to carry your water, snacks, sunscreen, etc. that you may need on your longer hikes.
- RTIC Soft-Sided Cooler – Keep your drinks and sandwich stuff cool in this cooler.
- Jacket – Even in warmer months, the temps can be cool in the mornings and evening so pack a light men’s or women’s jacket.
- Printed Maps/Directions – Cell service is spotty, so I recommend you print maps/directions or download offline maps to all hiking trails and parks you plan to visit.
- Picnic Lunch and Snacks – Unless you plan on leaving the park midday, you will need to bring lunch into the park with you. There is no place to buy food inside the park.
One Day Hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison
8:30 AM: Enter the Park and Tomichi Point
We left our hotel in Montrose a little after 8:00 am and made the 15-minute drive towards the park. Upon entering the park, drive straight to the first overlook. There is a turnoff to the right that takes you to East Portal Road, which you will get to a little later. The first overlook is Tomichi Point, which is located right off the parking area. Here you will get your first views of the giant canyon.
8:45 AM: South Rim Visitor Center and Gunnison Point
Make a stop at the South Rim Visitor Center and talk to rangers about any questions you may have regarding the park. There is also a gift shop in the visitor center where you can purchase souvenirs. Walk out the back entrance, and meander to Gunnison Point. The walk to the point is along a fissure where you can see drop-offs on both sides of you.
Picture Warning – It is a little difficult getting pictures of the canyon at this hour because of the positioning of the sun. The canyon is too dark for your camera to capture. Once the sun gets overhead, your pictures will turn out clearer.
9:15 AM: Oak Flat Trail
The first trail for hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison is Oak Flat Trail. This trail is a 1.6-mile moderately difficult loop that descends approximately 400 vertical feet. If you turn right on the loop (counterclockwise), you will decline on steep switchbacks and incline at a more slower rate. If you have bad knees, you will want to hike the loop clockwise so your descent is more gradual.
10:30 AM: East Portal Road
From here, we backtracked a little to East Portal Road, which is that turn-off to the right immediately after entering the park. We did this thinking we could find a good spot for lunch along the way, and we did, so it worked out! East Portal Road is a 5-mile drive that takes you to the bottom of the canyon. Turn right once you reach Gunnison River, and the drive takes you beside the river until you reach Crystal Dam. We saw several people fly fishing all along the river.
There are some picnic tables under an awning and a restroom as soon as you get to the base of the canyon. However, we found a picnic table under a tree about halfway between the restrooms and Crystal Dam that was more secluded and had beautiful views of Gunnison River. There is also a small, rocky beach area here where we put our feet in the freezing waters after we ate our early lunch.
12:30 PM: Primitive Trail at East Portal Campground
At the restrooms, continue on East Portal Road toward East Portal Campground. At the end of the road is a small parking lot where the trailhead for this primitive trail begins. Walk along the river for views of the canyon walls from the bottom.
We saw a black bear cub at this parking lot and again when walking back from the end of the primitive trail.
1:30 PM: Start Rim Drive Road
Head back up East Portal Road, turn right on Rim Drive Road, and drive past the South Rim Visitor Center. From here to the end of the road are various stops with short hikes that take you to different viewpoints of the canyon. You can choose to stop at all of them if you would like. However, due to the extreme heat we faced, we did end up skipping a few. But you can easily do all the stops in cooler weather when hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
1:45 PM: Pulpit Rock Overlook
The walk to the overlook is only 135 yards from the parking area.
2:00 PM: Cross Fissures View
The hike to Cross Fissures View is 0.3 miles round trip. The next 2 stops are very close to Cross Fissures View, so we did not stop at those. They are Rock Point (0.4 miles) and Devil’s Lookout (0.5 miles).
2:15 PM: Chasm View
Chasm View is a 0.1-mile walk to the overlook.
2:30 PM: Painted Wall View
Painted Wall View is a short 0.2-mile, out and back trail that is a very short driving distance from Chasm View. This is a must-see spot because of the painted wall across from the canyon. This is the iconic view that you see when searching for hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
2:45 PM: Sunset View
We passed up Cedar Point (0.4 miles) and Dragon Point (0.4 miles) before reaching Sunset View (0.1 miles). This viewpoint looks west and is a great spot to catch the sunset if you are in the park later in the evening.
3:00 PM: Warner Point Nature Trail and High Point
Warner Point Nature Trail is the last trail when hiking Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and it is located at the end of Rim Drive Road. This 1.5-mile moderately difficult hike takes you to your final canyon viewpoint, Warner Point, and has a change in elevation of approximately 400 vertical feet.
5:00 PM: Montrose, Colorado
You should be arriving back in Montrose just in time for dinner. Montrose has lots of eating options from one-of-a-kind establishments to chain restaurants. There is also a Walmart in town if you need to stock up on groceries, water, or other supplies you will need as part of a longer Colorado road trip.
After Dark at Black Canyon of the Gunnison
After eating dinner and resting for a while (if you feel up to it), you can head back into the park for a beautiful sunset over the canyon. Make sure to stay well into evening at this park (if the moon is not full) to see stars fill the sky. This park is a Dark Sky Park with darkness levels close to that of Arches National Park. You can see the Milky Way at times when the moon is not visible. During the summer months, the Milky Way is its brightest.
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