Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of four national parks in Colorado and is worth adding to any Colorado road trip. The highlight of this park is to see the massive canyon that the Gunnison River has carved over the centuries. You’ll find spectacular view points, a scenic drive, and some hiking opportunities. The bottom line is that there are some great things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Things to Do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Normally, I say that this is not an exhaustive list of things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. However, during my visit, I feel like I covered a lot of ground. All of that information is packed into this list.
Visit the Viewpoints on the Scenic Drive
The best thing to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is to drive the main road through the park and visit all of the scenic viewpoints. You can easily stop at all of the viewpoints (although some are better than others) and many people do visit all of them.
What makes these viewpoints different than most other scenic drives you’ll do in national parks, is you have to work for them. It’s very rare that you pull up and the view is right there. For many of these you have to walk at least quarter or a half mile to get to the view point. This isn’t a long distance, but since you’re at a higher altitude, it takes more energy.
Plus it can get very hot here, so take care, even on these short hikes. On the day I visited, temperatures reached into the mid 90s, so even on those shorter trails, it was very hot.
Now, let’s take a look at the viewpoints, since visiting them are the best thing to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The south rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison has 13 viewpoints and I think it is worth talking about each one.
Tomichi Point
Length: 0.1 miles
Tomichi Point is one of the few points that is right at the parking lot. If you stop here as your first stop in the park, you’ll be greeted with a great view.
Gunnison Point
Length: 0.2 miles
To access this point, park at the Visitor Center. You’ll walk around the west side of the building and take the path. Most of this path is stairs, but it takes you to a view point slightly inside the canyon.
If you want to hike into the canyon, you’ll also depart from here. For those wanting to hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon, you’ll need a Wilderness Use Permit. But if you just want a taste of hiking into the canyon, you can look at the Oak Flat Loop Trail, which also starts at Gunnison Point. I’ll cover more about the Oak Flat Loop Trail later in this point.
Pulpit Rock
Length: 0.2 miles
I took notes on each view point along the rim and my note for this view point was “Stunning”. I think that says enough.
Cross Fissures View
Length: 0.3 miles
If you’re a little adventurous this view point becomes more than just a view point. There’s a few rocks to climb on which can help to get you a really nice photo.
Rock Point
Length: 0.4 miles
This is the best view of The Narrows (aka one of the most narrow sections of the canyon) from the South Rim and is definitely worth a stop.
Devil’s Lookout
Length: 0.7 miles
This is the second longest path out to a viewpoint. In my opinion, it wasn’t worth the effort compared to some of the other points. I was a little disappointed with this one, so if you’re looking for viewpoints to skip, I think this is one to cut.
Chasm View
Length: 0.6 miles
I enjoyed Chasm View because I was doing my route from west to east, so this was the first view point I had that I got to face the other direction. View points can blend together so take your time and try to figure out what makes them unique.
Note – This is just a short walk up the road from Painted Wall. Rather than moving your car, you can just walk between these two points.
Painted Wall View
Length: 0.2 miles
This was a nice view, especially since it’s one of the shorter walks out to the actual view point.
Note – This is just a short walk down the road from Chasm View. Rather than moving your car, you can just walk between these two points.
Cedar Point
Length: 0.4 miles
Cedar Point has two view points so for not much extra effort, you get two different views of the Canyon.
Dragon Point
Length: 0.4 miles
Despite this being another early view point for me, it remained a favorite throughout the day.
Sunset Point
Length: 0.1 miles
This is one point that you don’t need to really work for. To get to the main viewpoint, you just need to get across the parking lot. Sunset Point also has a picnic area so if you’re looking to take a break, here’s one place you can consider.
I enjoyed these views at the time, but this one was one of my first stops (having done Warner Point and Gunnison Point already). However, as the day went on this view point moved lower and lower on my list of favorites.
High Point
Length 0.3 miles
This is the one view point that I don’t have notes on and that’s mostly because I don’t think I was paying attention. This is accessed from the same parking lot as Warner Point and after I finished Warner Point, I completely forgot to stop here. Oops!
Warner Point
This is the longest walk out to a view point, but it’s also the best view point on the south rim. Therefore, it’s one of the best things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
This is 0.75 miles one way (1.5 miles round trip) and is listed as moderate by the National Park Service. If you only hike one trail at the South Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, make it this one. I’ll also cover a little more on this trail later in this post.
So What Are the Best View Points?
Warner Point is definitely the best view, but it also takes the most effort. Dragon Point and Pulpit Rock were also big favorites of mine.
Should You Skip Any?
I think all the view points on the south rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park are worth a stop, just because everyone has differing opinions about which view points are better. However, if you’re short on time, I’d cut Devil’s Lookout, Sunset Point, and Cedar Point.
Hike to Warner Point
This is technically one of the view points, but it’s a 0.8 mile walk one way so I’m putting it as it’s own activity. Plus, I consider it to be one of the top things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Warner Point was one of my favorite view points at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (and the best on the south rim) and for me it was totally worth the walk out. I was here before 10:00am and had the viewpoint entirely to myself for at least ten minutes. It was glorious.
For this hike, I logged 1.6 miles and 472 feet of elevation change over an hour. This hour included my time to stop and take photos when I reached Warner Point.
Hike into the Canyon on the Oak Flat Loop Trail
If you want to hike into the canyon, but don’t want to get a back country permit (or go all the way to the bottom of the canyon), look into the Oak Flat Loop Trail. I hiked it and enjoyed it, but I think it could be skipped and you wouldn’t miss much.
There are only a handful of view points and you don’t get down super far into the canyon. I did this hike specifically because I wanted to be able to hike in the canyon. I guess you could say I did that, but I wouldn’t do this hike again. Still, I have to include it on a list of things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
The Oak Flat Loop Trail starts just behind the Visitor Center. While a backcountry permit is required to hike into the canyon, it is not required for this trail. The Oak Flat Loop Trailhead is also shared with the Gunnison Route, but the Gunnison Route does require a permit and will take you all the way to the Gunnison River at the bottom of the canyon.
I logged 1.4 miles and 335 feet of elevation gain over 45 minutes.
Drive the East Portal Road
This was an unexpected surprise for me. I wasn’t quite ready to leave the park yet, but I still had plenty of time so I decided to drive East Portal Road.
This road is an adventure! It’s also one of my favorite things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and one of my favorite scenic drives in Colorado.
This windy road leads you all the way down to the Gunnison River at the bottom of the canyon. Drive carefully and take your time, but I think this should definitely be on your list if you’re interested in scenic drives. This definitely ranks as one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, thing to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park’s south rim.
Visit the North Rim
The south rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is more accessible, so most tourists just focus their trip here. As I’ve already covered, there’s plenty of things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison South Rim, but for those wanting fewer people, pay a visit to the North Rim.
I’ve written a guide that focuses solely on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison North Rim, so check that out for more information. But I will give you one spoiler, the North Rim is home to the best view point at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
If you have more than one day, I highly recommend venturing over to the north rim.
How Much Time Do You Need at Black Canyon of the Gunnison?
Compared to some other national parks, Black Canyon of the Gunnison can feel small. In fact, with one day you should be able to hit all of the top things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison, with the exception of the north rim.
While it is possible to visit both the south rim and the north rim in one day, it would be an incredibly busy day. Therefore, I only recommend visiting the north rim if you have at least two days.
Since it was very hot when I visited (during the first week of September), I got an early start. I left my hotel in Montrose 7:15 am. I hiked the Oak Flat Loop trail, Warner Point trail, drove the scenic drive and visited all of the view points, drove East Portal Road, and was back in Montrose by 2:45. I went pretty leisurely, taking my time at the different view points and felt like I got to see everything I wanted to see.
Planning Your Time
Since it was predicted to get to over 90 degrees, I planned my day so I could do the hiking early. If your visit will also be hot, I would recommend following my itinerary. It’s not as efficient of a route, but when it gets really hot, you don’t want to be out hiking in it, especially since some areas can be very exposed.
7:45 – Arrive at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park South Rim Visitor Center
7:45 – Hike Oak Flat Loop Trail
8:45 – Finish Oak Flat Loop and Drive to Warner Point
9:00 – Start Warner Point Trail
10:00 – Finish Warner Point Trail. Start working your way back toward the visitor center, visiting all of the points along the way.
1:00 – Drive East Portal Road
2:00 – Depart Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
As a note, it does not necessarily take 3 hours to drive the scenic drive and visit the view points. You can do it much more efficiently, but I had to back track to two points since there was no parking available. Setting aside three hours allows you time to backtrack as well as time to enjoy the views and take breaks as needed.
If you are looking to do the most efficient route through the park, start at the Oak Flat Loop Trail. Once you finish the trail, do the scenic drive, stopping at all of the view points. Once you reach Warner Point, return back the way you came and do East Portal Road.
Entrance Fees
It costs $30 per vehicle for a 7 day pass for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. You can also purchase an annual pass for $55. The America the Beautiful Pass is also valid.
What to Bring
Make sure you bring plenty of water, particularly if it’s a hot day. On my visit, the high was in the mid 90s and while I tried to do the more physical trails (Oak Flat Loop and Warner Point) first thing in the morning, I still found myself drinking a lot of water to try to keep cool and stay hydrated. Snacks and sunscreen are also a good idea.
When to Visit
Summer is peak season and is when Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is the busiest. In winter, some roads (including East Portal Road) will be closed and won’t reopen until mid-April. I visited in the first week of September. Crowds were not overwhelming, but it was incredibly hot during my visit with temperatures reaching into the low 90s.
Where to Stay
There’s no lodging in the park except for camping. The most convenient nearby town is Montrose. From Montrose, it’s a 25 minute drive to the South Rim Visitor Center.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this park. There were so many awesome things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison that I never felt bored. The views are incredible and the drives are fun.
Continue Your Adventure
Black Canyon of the Gunnison: To escape any crowds, consider a visit to the less traveled North Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Colorado National Parks: Beyond Black Canyon of the Gunnison, consider adding a stop in Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, or Mesa Verde.
Scenic Drives: Colorado is full of beautiful drives, but here’s some of my favorites.
Colorado Itineraries: For an epic road trip through Colorado, check out this 10 day itinerary. Or if you don’t have ten days, try one of these 5 day Colorado itineraries.
For More Epic Canyons: If you want to see more spectacular canyons, consider Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, or New River Gorge National Park.