Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Extreme Canyon views, definitely worth the trip. Not a lot of hikes unless you serious elevation gains. The views from the top are amazing. But don't to hit the east portal road down in the canyon. It is equally amazing.

A lot of people will tell you this is the sort of park where you just drive to a few look out points and then leave. It's not so much that they're wrong so much as they're not right. They are right that this canyon is not as carved up as it's grander cousin in Arizona. I don't know if that's a generational difference in conservation philosophy or if the canyon just doesn't lend itself to trails, but there's no bright angel equivalent here, and there's no way to hike rim-to-rim. There is one route that actually brings you all the way to the bottom of the canyon. Now, this is not a trail, and it looks like you're doing a lot of scrambling over rocks. As a chubby guy who likes to hike I watched a few videos of people doing it on YouTube and said "oh that's not for me." So, just be honest about your skill and fitness before you try this trail. However, there is one other trail that does dip a little beneath the rim, the oak flat trail. It's no bright angel or hermit trail, but if you want to escape the crowds, get different views, and get your heart rate up, this trail is for you. It's about two miles altogether and I think it took us less than an hour, but it was still more rewarding than just driving to the lookout points. You should also drive to the lookout points.

This park reminds me of Mesa Verde, theres basically one road that you simply drive down, get out of the car, take a very short walk to an overlook, then get back in the car and go to the next one. I did this for about 5 overlooks and they were all unique and slightly different than those before. There are some hikes here in the part, with Warner Point being one of the more popular and situated at the very end of the road.

This park has stunning views and some of the points of interest are even wheel chair accessible. It is very unique and the variety of plants and visas is stunning. The park can be a little crowded and some areas have limited parking. The Canyon is steep with varying formations and the river adds to the beauty. Some views are quite breathtaking. I was lucky enough to see some of the flora, including pitcher plant and the Claret cactus blooms. There was a falcon, but I missed taking a photo, unfortunately. The fire devastation is sad, but inspires one to be careful of the amazing parks we have as citizens. Highly recommend a visit!

Nice park with a lot of overlooks into the canyon, but to really enjoy this park you need to go INTO the canyon or at least river side. Park was devastated by a wildfire fairly recently so it’s still charred and recovering, keep that in mind if you plan a visit. The north rim is in much better shape than the south rim.