The park’s south rim is located near Montrose, CO and is 15 miles east of the town. The road to the park is two lane and has many turns but it was not that bad driving. There are homes/farms along the route so please be aware and courteous to the people living in the area. The south rim is 250 miles southwest of Denver. The north rim is located 11 miles south of Crawford, CO (not Texas). The park is at 8,000 feet when you are at the rim so please drink plenty of water, and wear sunscreen/hats for sun protection. The park maybe closed to vehicles due to snow but you can crosscrountry ski or snowshoe. The park road opens mid-April and this allows you to take your vehicle on the rim road. Hiking can be done down to the river but you need a permit to do so. One of the big things to do in the park is to climb the near-vertical walls. I did not do that but if you want to do it make sure you are very experienced and get your permit before you start your journey. One of the interesting things about the canyon is that there are gneiss and pegmatite rocks that are commingled. The pegmatite is a volcanic rock that when it was liquid magma found its way into cracks and crevices of the gneiss rock. These two together look like a marble cake with gneiss rock being dark and the pegmatite being a lighter colored rock. A good viewing point of this is the Painted Wall View, see below. If you like to look at stars this is the place for you. The area has few large trees to block your view and at night it is dark. There is a group called International Dark Sky Park and they offer astronomy programs within the park. The telescope is located within the South Rim campground. The telescope is open year round but be sure to look at the web site for opportunities to view the stars, galaxies and planets! No telescope the first day of my stay in the park but I should get a view on the 2nd and 4th nights, very excited. The first night I went outside Dundee and the stars were wonderful and plentiful. I just stared up at the stars for 30 minutes and it got me even more excited to watch from the telescope with someone who knows what is happening with the stars and constellations. If you are a star watcher I would suggest you come here and enjoy the stars. Note: The park is one of 100 international dark parks in the world! Being a dark park allows you to see the night sky without all of the light pollution. This is the second park to have a ranger talk about light pollution.
Observation – When I was at the Visitor Center waiting on the sun to go down below the canyon, I observed many swallows flying into, out of and around the canyon. I was sitting still and watching these wonderful creatures fly almost without any effort. Then out of nowhere I hear a “whooose” above my head. When I looked at what created the sound it was a swallow flying by me so fast that it made that sound! The first time was cool but I have to say that it never got old hearing those birds flying by so fast that you could hear them gliding in the air.
Ranger talk – I had a ranger talk today and it was about the indigenous people in the area the Utes, not the college mascot, but the actual people. The Utes were very good at hunting and they had surplus food stock, hides, homes and anything else that someone needs to have a thriving community. They got along with the Spanish and the Mexican’s and had their territory which would be now Colorado, Utah, and parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming. The Spanish American war gave the US the territory that the Utes were thriving in as a group. The US told the Utes they could stay and the US government would not bother them but we all know political people so that changed. The area of land changed to much over the years it is criminal that the US kept making treaties with these Native Americans only for us to ignore the treaty and take more land. These people just wanted the US to let them hunt and thrive but that was not to be. The Utes are now located in two little areas of the US and it is about 1/50 of the land they once had to hunt and live.
Night Sky Ranger talk – The night sky here in Black Canyon of Gunnison is something that is truly amazing to see. You can see all kinds of stars, planets and even our galaxy! The night sky ranger talk was done in conjunction with a local astronomy group lead by Brian. Brian provided a wonderful telescope, computer and a projector allowing everyone to get to see up close some of the wonderful things in the night sky. We got to see a close cluster of stars, a nebula or two. These cluster of stars, and nebula we could not see with the naked eye but with his telescope and computer etc. it was there for us to see. Now the screen was not as good with the colors as the naked eye looking into the telescope but it was still pretty cool. Jupiter was seen on the screen with 4 of its moons. Brian mentioned that Galileo was able to see Jupiter and its 4 moons with a 1 inch telescope back in the day, and Brian’s was much bigger. Brian mentioned that the moons around Jupiter move rapidly and if you continue to look at Jupiter the moons will not always be in the same space doing the night. We were also able to see Saturn and its rings! The colors of all of the items in outer space are fabulous and is something that if you are in the area and can do come see all the stars and the galaxy.
Pulpit Rock Overlook – nice parking area for this overlook as it has off street and street parking. Vault toilets are on the other side of the road. The overlook has two viewing areas and describes why the two sides of the canyon are so different. Note: The reason is above. You can view down the canyon at the furthest point and it shows the Gunnison River at the bottom.
Cross Fissures View – the parking is limited on this overlook and it is 357 yards each way to the viewing area. The viewing area allows you to see the giant rock fissures and also views into the canyon but not the water as the river has already done a bend. The walk is easy and downhill to the viewing area so uphill back.
Chasm View – a short walk from the road parking area will provide you will wonderful views of the rock face which climbers would I think scale. The view also allows you to see the river at the bottom of the canyon.
Painted Wall View – Due to the parking on the road issue I would recommend if you get a spot at Chasm to walk to Painted Wall or the other way around. The walk if a few hundred yards to/from each of the view points view the road. From the entrance to Painted Wall it is about 200 yards to the viewpoint. When at the view point you can see the Gunnison River and the layers of rock on the rock wall. It looks like a swirl cake with the different colors on the rock face. It is amazing how you can get different colors of rocks in once cliff face but the lighter colored rocks were magma at one point and find crevices in the more solid darker rock.
Sunset View – The view point has a parking area and a vault toilet. Picnic tables are here as well allowing you to enjoy some of the views while having a snack or lunch. There also is a walk path of maybe 50 yards down to a viewing area. You get wonderful views of the river and the multi-colored rock face on the North Rim.
Rock Point – The point has limited parking on the street but if you are lucky to get a spot take it. There is a 294 yard walk one way to the viewing area that is a fairly easy walk. The viewing area has a fence around it. You get views of the river and the sheer canyon walls while at the point.
Devils Lookout – The lookout has limited parking as well but it is walking distance from Rock Point so I decided to leave Dundee at Rock Point and walk. Once at the parking area the trailhead to the lookout is 607 yards one way. The hike here has a bit more elevation changes as it goes down most of the way and then the last 50 yards is up. It still is not bad as the surface is crushed rock and dirt to make it a somewhat smooth surface. The walk up requires you to walk over some large rocks but nothing that is too dangerous or hard. The lookout has two different places to look at the rock formations of the canyon. The one closest is one that you don’t want to look down unless you are comfortable with heights. I was glad that the railing was there as it is a long way down. The second view point is much better as the drop is only 30 – 40 feet.
RIm Trail – The trailhead from the campground is at the end of the road before you turn onto loop C. The trail is 1 mile each way to the visitors center and you can also pickup the trail at the visitor center. The trailhead here is in the parking lot and is closest to the entry point. You can also get to the trail at the Tomichi point near either end of the parking area. From the campground the trail starts out going down with some stairs. The trail is dirt and some large rocks that you will need to walk over during your hike. Markers for the trail are very visible and easy to read. There is an interection with the Uplands Trail, to go to the visitor center, not far onto the trail but stay to the right and stay on the rim trail. You are going downhill for about 1/2 way to Tomichi point then you go up hill to get to the point’s parking area and continue the trail. At Tomichi there is a bench you can sit and look at the canyon or take a photo if you so desire. Onward to the visitor center is again some down and up but not a ton of elevation gain/loss during the overall hike. The trail is one way but what goes to the visitor center can come back from the visitor center, just come the way you went. All in all it is a very nice trail but not much if any shade so bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat.
Oak Flat Loop Trail – The trailhead is at the visitor center on the west end of the building. Head down the stairs and stay to the left and that starts the trail. The trail is rated as difficult but I think the only hard part of the trail was the 8,000 feet elevation starting point. The trail is 2 miles for the entire loop and you get a 400 feet elevation gain/loss. On your journey you come to a crossroad of the loop trail with a choice of left or right. Right takes you down and in a steep fashion with stairs and switchbacks. Going down was not that bad but I think that coming up this way would be a bit hard so off to the right I went down. If you go to the left you also come to another intersection with the Uplands trail, that will take you back to the campground. The trail down, right side on the first intersection, is fairly steep and has a solid dirt pathway. One of the great things of the trail is the views of the canyon so it was worth the hike down and back up. The way up was longer than down but not as steep. On the way up there was two single board bridges and one multiple board (not wide however) less than 15 feet across dry water runoff areas. I don’t like single board bridges but what the heck they were only a few feet off the ground and I would not get hurt falling, I hoped. There were plenty of switchbacks on the way up but it was a slow steady climb, that I surely like. One the trail is a bench you can sit and view the canyon through the trees. The way up also takes you through a forest of Aspen and Douglas fir trees, a way to stay cool in the shade. All good things have to come to an end and you leave the forest and back in the open sun for the last bit of the hike. One intersection is the Uplands Trail head but stay on the Oak Flat loop trail and you come back to the visitor center. The trail’s intersections are marked well and there is even an intersection down to the canyon trail but you can’t take that trail without a permit. If you are in the park I suggest you take this hike and go slow and easy.
Uplands Trail – The trail can be started on the Rim trail near the campground or you can start it just west of the Visitor Center off the Oak Flat loop. I took the far trailhead by the visitor center and took the Rim trial to get to the trailhead. The trail is a nice easy stroll through the oakbrush and you do get to go up at the beginning from the Visitor Center trailhead. You also cross the Rim Road twice at clear crosswalks, and pedestrians have the right-o-way but the “season” is over (Labor Day passed) and the road was clear. The trail is dirt and a very nice hike. I would recommend this hike to anyone who wants to hike in the area. Just remember that there is NO shade so bring lotion and a hat for sun protection. Never forget that you need water for your hikes and being high in altitude and in the 80’s also requires additional non-alcoholic liquid.
South Rim Campground – The campground has 3 loops named A, B, and C. They get point for originality on the naming of the loops but A loop has 34 spots and has 2 vault toilets. Loop B has 23 spots but they also have electric if you are in need of electric during your camping experience here in the park. Also 2 vault toilets are on loop B. Loop C as 32 spots but like Loop A there is no electric here and also 2 vault toilets. The spots are spaced out so you are not right on top of each other when camping but I have to say that some of the spots are tight to park in and the parking is not level. Each loop has a water area to get fresh water, that is trucked into the park. No place in the park has water that is not trucked into the park hence vault toilets only within the park. There is a campground host and the spot for them is in loop A. When I first arrived at the park I was told the host would come by and make sure everything was ok. That did not happen but I did go say hello and asked a question or two of them they could answer. The current host couple was educating a new host who took over after my second night at the campground. I found out the new host’s day one as a host is today. Good luck with the adventure.
Warner Point Trail – The trail had is on the turnaround at the end of the rim road. The trail is rock and dirt for most of the 1373 yards one way. There is some elevation gain/loss in the trail and it is the second most of any of the trails I have taken on the south rim. A few spots along the trail is steep up/down but for the most part the trail can be done by almost anyone. The trail has viewing points along the way that are marked. A cool thing about this hike is you not only see the canyon but you also get to see the hills and area to the South of the park.
