Montrose · RedAwning

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National ParkThe 2,250-foot Painted Wall, the steepest river drop in North America, and a canyon so narrow sunlight only reaches the bottom for 33 minutes a day at the Narrows

30,750 acres of vertical Precambrian rock on the Gunnison River, with 12 miles of the deepest, narrowest, and most-shadowed section open as a national park since 1999. The 2,250-foot Painted Wall is Colorado's tallest sheer cliff. The Gunnison drops 240 feet per mile through the canyon — the fifth-steepest river descent in North America. South Rim is the main visitor entrance; the road from Denver is roughly five hours.

Hours todayOpen 24 hrs – undefinedWednesday hours
TicketsFrom $30Private vehicle (1–7 days)
LocationMontrose, Colorado9800 Highway 347
Official sitenps.govPlan your visit

30,750Acres
2,250 ftPainted Wall
1999Park established
240 ft/mileRiver drop

Black Canyon of the Gunnison was protected as a national monument in 1933 — championed by Montrose-based geologist Mark Warner and dedicated by President Hoover one month before he left office — and upgraded to a national park in 1999. The 30,750-acre park covers only the deepest, narrowest 12 miles of the 53-mile Gunnison Gorge: a vertical-walled corridor where the Gunnison River has cut down 2,000+ feet through 1.7-billion-year-old gneiss and schist, two of the oldest exposed rocks in North America.

The canyon's signature view is the Painted Wall — at 2,250 feet, Colorado's tallest sheer cliff, with light-colored pegmatite dykes intruding the dark gneiss in pink ribbons that look brushed on. The South Rim Drive runs seven miles between Tomichi Point and High Point, with twelve overlooks along the way; Chasm View peers across the Narrows where the canyon is just 1,100 feet wide at the rim and 40 feet wide at the river. The Gunnison drops 240 feet per mile through the park — the fifth-steepest river descent in North America, ahead of the Snake through Hells Canyon.

South Rim is the practical entrance — fifteen minutes from Montrose, paved through October, and home to the visitor center, campground, and all twelve drive-up overlooks. North Rim is rougher (gravel, closed in winter, three-hour drive from the South Rim around the canyon) but rewards the effort with a stark, less-trafficked perspective directly above the Painted Wall and S.O.B. Draw. The Inner Canyon — the river itself — is reachable only by Class 3 unmaintained routes with 1,800–2,700 feet of loss; rangers issue a free wilderness permit and screen each party.

The Painted Wall — 2,250 ft
Colorado's tallest sheer cliff and the Black Canyon's signature view — 2,250 feet from rim to river, taller than two Empire State Buildings stacked. The pink ribbons are 1.43-billion-year-old pegmatite dykes that intruded the 1.73-billion-year-old gneiss. Best photographed mid-morning from the Painted Wall View on South Rim Road.
The Narrows from Chasm View
Where the canyon pinches to 1,100 feet across at the rim and just 40 feet at the river, 1,800 feet below. From Chasm View on North Rim Road, you can drop a small rock and time it falling — the Narrows is the only spot in the park where rangers issue a brief technical-route warning, since dropped objects can hit climbers below.
South Rim Road & 12 overlooks
Seven miles of paved rim drive between Tomichi Point and High Point with twelve named overlooks — Pulpit Rock, Cross Fissures, Rock Point, Devil's Lookout, Sunset View, and Painted Wall View are the must-stops. Most are 50–200 yards from the parking pullouts; allow three hours to drive the whole rim with stops.
Gunnison Route — 1,800 ft to the river
The most popular inner-canyon route — a 1.5-mile, 1,800-foot scramble down a chained section of loose rock from the South Rim Visitor Center to the Gunnison River. Free wilderness permit required, allow 5–7 hours round trip, plan for an early start in summer (canyon temperatures hit 100°F by midday). Rangers screen for fitness before issuing the permit.
East Portal Road & Crystal Dam
The park's only paved road into the canyon, descending 2,000 feet on a 16% grade in five miles to the Gunnison River and the base of Crystal Dam (one of three Curecanti dams upstream). Closed in winter; no trailers or vehicles over 22 feet allowed. The bottom is the only place in the park where day-use visitors can fish the river without a wilderness permit.
Gold Medal trout fishing
The Gunnison through the Black Canyon is a Colorado Gold Medal Water — a state designation for the top 1% of trout streams. Fly anglers target wild rainbows and browns averaging 14 inches, with regular 20-inch fish. Access is through East Portal in summer or by Inner Canyon permit; barbless flies and lures only, catch-and-release for rainbows.
International Dark Sky Park
Designated by DarkSky International in 2015 — the canyon walls block ambient light from Montrose and the rim is far enough from Front Range cities that the Milky Way is visible most clear nights. Astronomy Festival runs each June with NPS rangers and Black Canyon Astronomical Society telescopes set up at South Rim Campground.
North Rim — quieter, deeper feeling
Gravel road accessed from Crawford (closed November through mid-April) — six overlooks across from the South Rim including Balanced Rock, Big Island View, and the Chasm View / Narrows View directly above the Painted Wall. Less than 10% of park visitors make the three-hour drive around. The North Rim Campground has 13 first-come, first-served sites.

Open hours

South Rim Road and the South Rim Visitor Center are open year-round; the road past Gunnison Point closes when snow accumulates (typically mid-November through mid-April). North Rim Road is closed November through mid-April. East Portal Road, the only paved route into the canyon, is closed in winter and posts a 16% grade — no vehicles or trailers over 22 feet.

MondayOpen 24 hrs
TuesdayOpen 24 hrs
WednesdayTodayOpen 24 hrs
ThursdayOpen 24 hrs
FridayOpen 24 hrs
SaturdayOpen 24 hrs
SundayOpen 24 hrs

Note · The Painted Wall is best viewed mid-morning when the eastern face catches light. The Narrows from Chasm View are deepest-feeling around 11 AM, when shadow still fills the canyon floor.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Private vehicle (1–7 days)$30One vehicle and all passengers, 7 consecutive days
Per person (foot, bike, motorcycle)$15Individuals 16+, 7 consecutive days
Annual park pass$55Unlimited entry to Black Canyon for 12 months
Inner Canyon wilderness permitFreeRequired for any descent below the rim — register at the visitor center

Children 15 and under enter free. Inner-canyon routes (Gunnison, Tomichi, S.O.B. Draw, Warner) are unmaintained Class 3 scrambles with 1,800–2,700-foot loss to the river — wilderness permits are free but rangers screen for fitness and gear before issuing one. The America the Beautiful Pass is honored at the entrance station.

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