Black Canyon of the Gunnison is experienced pretty well in one day if you don’t plan to do extensive hiking or to visit multiple areas of the park (similar to Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and many others). That being said, you can also walk away from it having only driven the road to High Point without seeing much of what makes it special!
I should note that to truly experience this park you should do a river rafting tour or hike one of the trails down to the river itself. Due to our time available for our visit, this was not in the cards for us this trip. You can also visit the less popular North Rim, which we also did not get to do this trip.
So, how do you have an awesome day in Black Canyon of the Gunnison? Join me as I replay our day in the park! A note on photography – the time of day matters a lot for this park, and we went first thing in the morning during mid-July and the lighting worked out well. At other times of the day the canyon will be darker and photos will be harder to capture the beauty of the park.
How to Have 1 Amazing Day in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Stop 1: Tomichi Point
Your first stop is at Tomichi Point which is the first chance you have to see the Black Canyon. It is also one of the spots where you can hike down to the river, but less popular than the Gunnison Route. Neither walk is easy, but for those not descending to the river this vista is a quick easy stop and has a pit toilet that is nice and quieter than those at the South Rim Visitor Center.
Stop 2: South Rim Visitor Center
The Visitor Center includes the traditional activities, but also had another nice pit toilet and helpful Rangers. We visited during COVID, so unfortunately the building was closed but we were able to talk to Rangers at the table they had set up and collect the books for the Junior Ranger program.
Also at the Visitor Center is the trail for Gunnison Point, a must see spot that brings you right out to the cliffs’ edge. We did not do the Oak Flat Loop, but this is one of the most common hikes to do here that does not go down into the canyon. We were instead heading for the Warner Point Trail at High Point.
Stop 3: Pulpit Rock
Each of these stops we highlight are quick with none being a long walk. While you may be tempted to skip them, it is worth a quick look to truly see the uniqueness of each one. You will see most people do stop at the majority of the viewpoints, especially these ones we highlight that are just off the road.
Stop 4: Chasm View
This stop, along with the Painted Wall View, are among the more popular. Chasm View is the location where the canyon is the “blackest,” with a height of 1,840 feet deep but just 400 feet wide at the top!
Stop 5: Painted Wall View
Painted Wall itself is stunning! While being very close to Chasm View, this spot is unique and another must see. At 2,300 feet this is the tallest cliff in all of Colorado. This is the top overlook in the whole park and for very good reason!
Stop 6: Sunset View
Sunset View has a nice view, of course, but also has a good sized parking area, pit toilet, and picnic tables. We ate our lunch here after our hike to Warner Point and it was a great spot. As its’ name implies, it is a great view at sunset and looks out on the river as it meets the Uncompahgre River in the distance.
Stop 7: High Point
High Point has picnic tables, a hike to an overlook looking away from the Canyon, and is the starting point for the Warner Point Trail. While it may not be a must stop, the hike to Warner Point is! If you aren’t up for that hike it would be good to make the walk 0.3 miles each way (just 32 feet of elevation gain) to see the view into the valley.
Stop 8: Warner Point Trail
The Warner Point Trail, which originates at High Point, is a must see view! We enjoyed the hike, and the views both into the Black Canyon and down into the valley were amazing! Because you get great views into the valley (away from the Canyon) it is not necessary to do the hike to the viewpoint at High Point and this hike. We took some family photos, called my grandma, and sat and rested for a bit here and got our taste of the outdoors and why this park is special.
Stop 9: East Portal
Located down a dead end road near the Park entrance is the road to East Portal. This is the only place you can get to the river without a lot of work and the road down is steep but beautiful! The road was originally built for access to the city and construction site during the building of the 6 mile long, 11×12 foot Gunnison Tunnel that diverts a portion of the flow of the river to irrigate and support communities in the valley.
At the base of the road you get to see the river and can do some fishing if you’d like but there are also areas to eat a picnic and a number of historical markers and signposts that tell the history of the tunnel construction and the town that sprang up around it.
If you are heading east… Drive through Curecanti National Recreation Area!
If you are heading east after leaving the park, I highly recommend traveling through the Curecanti National Recreation Area. It is managed by the National Park Service and has a lot of areas to explore or simply navigate through. We ended up driving both routes (Highway 92 to the North and Highway 50 to the South) and Highway 92 is much more scenic but a far slower route.
If you have the time Highway 92 also provides the option to see the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Highway 50 has a nice mountain pass you climb. Either way, the roads converge at Blue Mesa Reservoir where on Highway 92 you can drive across the dam. If we had time, I would have hiked to the Dillon Pinnacles. After the Red Creek Group Campground road keep your eyes peeled on the hillside to the north as we saw bighorn sheep (including a baby!) walking up the hill here.
We combined our visit to this park on a big loop through Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado National Monument, and Great Sand Dunes National Park which is why our time was limited here to one full, yet amazing day.
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