Two RV Gypsies at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado is an awesome gorge. There are three Scenic drives - North Rim Road, East Portal Road and South Rim Road. The two RV Gypsies found themselves at the North Rim Road.
The North Rim is reached by taking a gravel road from the east end of Crawford State Park. The North Rim Road provides access to 6 overlooks. The canyon walls on the North Rim are almost vertical, offering some of the most impressive views found in the national park.
The Narrows Lookout

Below: A partial railing helps to keep visitors safe from falling into the canyon, unless they decide to be stupid and careless, of course.

Geology: The Gunnison River The Gunnison River drops an average of 34 feet per mile through the entire canyon, making the 5th steepest mountain descents in North America. In comparison, the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile. The greatest descent of the Gunnison River occurs in the park at Chasm View dropping 240 feet per mile. The Black Canyon is so named on account of its steepness which makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate very far down the canyon. As a result, the canyon walls are most often in shadow, causing the rocky walls to appear black. At its narrowest point the canyon is only 40 feet across at the river. The extreme steepness and depth of the Black Canyon formed as the result of several geologic processes acting together. The Gunnison River is primarily responsible for carving the canyon, though several other geologic events had to occur in order to form the canyon as it is seen today.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison has some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.





The North Rim of the Black Canyon is far more scenic than the South Rim. The canyon seems wider, the views of the river are more expansive, and there are far less people. There is no way to get from the South Rim to North Rim without a long drive.
Below: Balanced Rock


Below: Looking straight down into the canyon	Below: Looking across the canyon

	Below: Lee Duquette on the trail back to the car

Below: Big Island

Below: Island Peaks









Below: Leaving the Island Peaks Lookout, the two RV Gypsies noticed that several rocks embedded into the ground were very silver and shiny.

Below: Kneeling Camel - do you see it?






The Visitor Center was on the other side of the park, and the two RV Gypsies could not get there in time to buy a pin or anything for their travel tree. This note was placed here, so they would know to get there in time should they ever return to this area. Plus they would really like to spend more time exploring this National Park. For more information, visit the formal website for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. But be sure to return here afterwards

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Continue on in order of travel to the Needle Rock in Crawford, Colorado

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The North Rim is reached by taking a gravel road from the east end of Crawford State Park. The North Rim Road provides access to 6 overlooks. The canyon walls on the North Rim are almost vertical, offering some of the most impressive views found in the national park.

The Narrows Lookout

Below: A partial railing helps to keep visitors safe from falling into the canyon, unless they decide to be stupid and careless, of course.

Geology: The Gunnison River

The extreme steepness and depth of the Black Canyon formed as the result of several geologic processes acting together. The Gunnison River is primarily responsible for carving the canyon, though several other geologic events had to occur in order to form the canyon as it is seen today.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison has some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.

The North Rim of the Black Canyon is far more scenic than the South Rim. The canyon seems wider, the views of the river are more expansive, and there are far less people. There is no way to get from the South Rim to North Rim without a long drive.

Below: Balanced Rock

Below: Looking straight down into the canyon

Below: Looking across the canyon

Below: Lee Duquette on the trail back to the car

Below: Big Island

Below: Island Peaks

Below: Leaving the Island Peaks Lookout, the two RV Gypsies noticed that several rocks embedded into the ground were very silver and shiny.

Below: Kneeling Camel - do you see it?

For more information, visit the formal website for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. But be sure to return here afterwards

There are 3 navigational choices below, PLUS the full alphabetical / category menu for this website.

Continue on in order of travel to the Needle Rock in Crawford, Colorado

Or

Return to the Colorado Menu Page to explore Colorado in 2012 in the order of your choice.

Or

AFTER you have visited all 20 places in Colorado, please continue on the the adventures of the two RV Gypsies in Arizona in 2012

OR

Continue Navigation in the order of your choice
via the alphabetical or category buttons below

OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)

The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers went to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado August 25, 2012
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. There are two entrances to the park; the more-developed south rim entrance is located 15 miles east of Montrose, while the north rim entrance is located 11 miles south of Crawford and is closed in the winter. The park contains 12 miles of the 48-mile long canyon of the Gunnison river. The National Park itself contains the deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon, but the canyon continues upstream into the Curecanti National Recreation Area and downstream into the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.

The North Rim is reached by taking a gravel road from the east end of Crawford State Park. The North Rim Road provides access to 6 overlooks. The canyon walls on the North Rim are almost vertical, offering some of the most impressive views found in the national park.

The Narrows Lookout

Below: A partial railing helps to keep visitors safe from falling into the canyon, unless they decide to be stupid and careless, of course.

Geology: The Gunnison River

The extreme steepness and depth of the Black Canyon formed as the result of several geologic processes acting together. The Gunnison River is primarily responsible for carving the canyon, though several other geologic events had to occur in order to form the canyon as it is seen today.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison has some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.

The North Rim of the Black Canyon is far more scenic than the South Rim. The canyon seems wider, the views of the river are more expansive, and there are far less people. There is no way to get from the South Rim to North Rim without a long drive.

Below: Balanced Rock

Below: Looking straight down into the canyon

Below: Looking across the canyon

Below: Lee Duquette on the trail back to the car

Below: Big Island

Below: Island Peaks

Below: Leaving the Island Peaks Lookout, the two RV Gypsies noticed that several rocks embedded into the ground were very silver and shiny.

Below: Kneeling Camel - do you see it?

For more information, visit the formal website for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. But be sure to return here afterwards

There are 3 navigational choices below, PLUS the full alphabetical / category menu for this website.

Continue on in order of travel to the Needle Rock in Crawford, Colorado

Or

Return to the Colorado Menu Page to explore Colorado in 2012 in the order of your choice.

Or

AFTER you have visited all 20 places in Colorado, please continue on the the adventures of the two RV Gypsies in Arizona in 2012

OR

Continue Navigation in the order of your choice via the alphabetical or category buttons below

OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)

Continue Navigation in the order of your choice
via the alphabetical or category buttons below