Hiking the Black Canyon of the Gunnison: From Easy to Hard

One of the least-visited national parks in the nation is actually home to one of the most dramatic landscapes.

Greg Heil

Images

50807867703_5bf871b456_k.jpg
9487370789_1bcd121e46_k.jpg
48825567893_ebe47d05e3_k.jpg
8102582183_c049a02871_b.jpg
5369308038_117893bf35_k.jpg
4956145768_0f65047f28_k.jpg
48459158811_4e925052c9_k.jpg
48459322212_2cbca32084_k.jpg
5368686263_1007004fd6_k.jpg
23ebd0b2-c345-4992-9597-9ee8114ea6e0.jpeg

by John Manard

9491526000_6f1ec000f3_k.jpg
9491527274_a284554382_k.jpg
48834497518_3fc8a05537_k.jpg
48834498423_b1b3529332_k.jpg
48835040982_d39f857712_k.jpg
48834867476_6aeceba8f6_k.jpg
26911336939_2336e350f4_k.jpg
Unchecked runtime.lastError: The message port closed before a response was received. 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:176 No margins state defined, returning empty margins Ce @ 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:176 2716851:1 Access to fetch at 'https://kraken.fatmap.com/' from origin 'https://fatmap.com' has been blocked by CORS policy: Response to preflight request doesn't pass access control check: No 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header is present on the requested resource. If an opaque response serves your needs, set the request's mode to 'no-cors' to fetch the resource with CORS disabled. kraken.fatmap.com/:1 Failed to load resource: net::ERR_FAILED 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:16 Network Error: TypeError: Failed to fetch fatmap.js:1 TypeError: Cannot read property 'data' of undefined at t.<anonymous> (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 at Object.next (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at a (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) (anonymous) @ fatmap.js:1 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: Cannot read property 'data' of undefined at t.<anonymous> (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 at Object.next (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at a (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) api.honeybadger.io/v1/notices/js.gif?notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Bname%5D=honeybadger.js&notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fhoneybadger-io%2Fhoneybadger-js&notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Bversion%5D=0.5.5&notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Blanguage%5D=javascript&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bclass%5D=TypeError(message%3A%20%27Cannot%20read%20property%20%27data%27%20of%20undefined%27%2C%20line%3A%20undefined%2C%20column%3A%20undefined)%20&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bmessage%5D=&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bbacktrace%5D=Error%0A%20%20%20%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fmap-assets.fatmap.com%2Fbranches%2Fglobal-map-production%2Fv117%2Fjs%2Ffatmap.js%3Fcallback%3DsdkLoaded%26key%3DeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJhdWQiOiJ3ZWIuZmF0bWFwLmNvbSIsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXV0aC5mYXRtYXAuY29tIn0.RXVUqrikGRyranAlwxQxkxQrbmlhm0SUWGm5A7TnrEw%3A1%3A6444%0A%20%20%20%20at%20Object.f.notify%20(https%3A%2F%2Fmap-assets.fatmap.com%2Fbranches%2Fglobal-map-production%2Fv117%2Fjs%2Ffatmap.js%3Fcallback%3DsdkLoaded%26key%3DeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJhdWQiOiJ3ZWIuZmF0bWFwLmNvbSIsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXV0aC5mYXRtYXAuY29tIn0.RXVUqrikGRyranAlwxQxkxQrbmlhm0SUWGm5A7TnrEw%3A1%3A6755)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20console.error%20(https%3A%2F%2Fmap-assets.fatmap.com%2Fbranches%2Fglobal-map-production%2Fv117%2Fjs%2Ffatmap.js%3Fcallback%3DsdkLoaded%26key%3DeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJhdWQiOiJ3ZWIuZmF0bWFwLmNvbSIsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXV0aC5mYXRtYXAuY29tIn0.RXVUqrikGRyranAlwxQxkxQrbmlhm0SUWGm5A7TnrEw%3A1%3A12397)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20t.%3Canonymous%3E%20(https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A309362)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A306874%0A%20%20%20%20at%20Object.throw%20(https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A306979)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20s%20(https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A305796)&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bgenerator%5D=throw&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2Fadventure-studio%2Fedit%2FHIKE%2Fadventureid%2F2716851&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BsdkVersion%5D=117&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BinitialMapDomStack%5D=%2Fbody%2F%23root.splashLoading%2F%23fatapp.app%20%20%20expanded%20fullview%20expanded-left%20%2F%23.%2F%23map.%2F%23fm-map.fm-body%20fm-map%2F%23.fm-map__inner&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BsessionHash%5D=rGgYhvM2eggQ56dFkm97rNCkhEzBwmUP&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BmapDomWidth%5D=1138&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BmapDomHeight%5D=778&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BframeCount%5D=1975&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcgi_data%5D%5BHTTP_USER_AGENT%5D=Mozilla%2F5.0%20(Macintosh%3B%20Intel%20Mac%20OS%20X%2010_15_7)%20AppleWebKit%2F537.36%20(KHTML%2C%20like%20Gecko)%20Chrome%2F88.0.4324.96%20Safari%2F537.36&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcgi_data%5D%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fatlas.fatmap.com%2F&notice%5Bserver%5D%5Bproject_root%5D=https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com&notice%5Bserver%5D%5Benvironment_name%5D=prod&api_key=b88a2bcc&t=1611946780599:1 Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 429 (Too Many Requests) map-assets.fatmap.com/branches/global-map-production/v117/js/fatmap.sdk.js?build=prod-67:1 Failed to find collisions with visible terrain Nt.castTerrain @ map-assets.fatmap.com/branches/global-map-production/v117/js/fatmap.sdk.js?build=prod-67:1 fatmap.js:1 TypeError: undefined is not iterable (cannot read property Symbol(Symbol.iterator)) at Function.from (<anonymous>) at t.n.denormalizePlannedAdventure (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at t.<anonymous> (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 at Object.next (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 at new Promise (<anonymous>) at eB (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at t.savePlannedAdventure (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at t.<anonymous> (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) (anonymous) @ fatmap.js:1 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: undefined is not iterable (cannot read property Symbol(Symbol.iterator)) at Function.from (<anonymous>) at t.n.denormalizePlannedAdventure (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at t.<anonymous> (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 at Object.next (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at 72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220 at new Promise (<anonymous>) at eB (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at t.savePlannedAdventure (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) at t.<anonymous> (72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js:220) api.honeybadger.io/v1/notices/js.gif?notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Bname%5D=honeybadger.js&notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fhoneybadger-io%2Fhoneybadger-js&notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Bversion%5D=0.5.5&notice%5Bnotifier%5D%5Blanguage%5D=javascript&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bclass%5D=TypeError(message%3A%20%27undefined%20is%20not%20iterable%20(cannot%20read%20property%20Symbol(Symbol.iterator))%27%2C%20line%3A%20undefined%2C%20column%3A%20undefined)%20&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bmessage%5D=&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bbacktrace%5D=Error%0A%20%20%20%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fmap-assets.fatmap.com%2Fbranches%2Fglobal-map-production%2Fv117%2Fjs%2Ffatmap.js%3Fcallback%3DsdkLoaded%26key%3DeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJhdWQiOiJ3ZWIuZmF0bWFwLmNvbSIsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXV0aC5mYXRtYXAuY29tIn0.RXVUqrikGRyranAlwxQxkxQrbmlhm0SUWGm5A7TnrEw%3A1%3A6444%0A%20%20%20%20at%20Object.f.notify%20(https%3A%2F%2Fmap-assets.fatmap.com%2Fbranches%2Fglobal-map-production%2Fv117%2Fjs%2Ffatmap.js%3Fcallback%3DsdkLoaded%26key%3DeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJhdWQiOiJ3ZWIuZmF0bWFwLmNvbSIsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXV0aC5mYXRtYXAuY29tIn0.RXVUqrikGRyranAlwxQxkxQrbmlhm0SUWGm5A7TnrEw%3A1%3A6755)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20console.error%20(https%3A%2F%2Fmap-assets.fatmap.com%2Fbranches%2Fglobal-map-production%2Fv117%2Fjs%2Ffatmap.js%3Fcallback%3DsdkLoaded%26key%3DeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJhdWQiOiJ3ZWIuZmF0bWFwLmNvbSIsImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXV0aC5mYXRtYXAuY29tIn0.RXVUqrikGRyranAlwxQxkxQrbmlhm0SUWGm5A7TnrEw%3A1%3A12397)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20t.%3Canonymous%3E%20(https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A309362)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A306874%0A%20%20%20%20at%20Object.throw%20(https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A306979)%0A%20%20%20%20at%20s%20(https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2F72e587c0b5f3a327c743.js%3A220%3A305796)&notice%5Berror%5D%5Bgenerator%5D=throw&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com%2Fadventure-studio%2Fedit%2FHIKE%2Fadventureid%2F2716851&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BsdkVersion%5D=117&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BinitialMapDomStack%5D=%2Fbody%2F%23root.splashLoading%2F%23fatapp.app%20%20%20expanded%20fullview%20expanded-left%20%2F%23.%2F%23map.%2F%23fm-map.fm-body%20fm-map%2F%23.fm-map__inner&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BsessionHash%5D=rGgYhvM2eggQ56dFkm97rNCkhEzBwmUP&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BmapDomWidth%5D=1138&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BmapDomHeight%5D=778&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcontext%5D%5BframeCount%5D=2533&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcgi_data%5D%5BHTTP_USER_AGENT%5D=Mozilla%2F5.0%20(Macintosh%3B%20Intel%20Mac%20OS%20X%2010_15_7)%20AppleWebKit%2F537.36%20(KHTML%2C%20like%20Gecko)%20Chrome%2F88.0.4324.96%20Safari%2F537.36&notice%5Brequest%5D%5Bcgi_data%5D%5BHTTP_REFERER%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fatlas.fatmap.com%2F&notice%5Bserver%5D%5Bproject_root%5D=https%3A%2F%2Ffatmap.com&notice%5Bserver%5D%5Benvironment_name%5D=prod&api_key=b88a2bcc&t=1611946790152:1 Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 429 (Too Many Requests)

shutterstock_478703455.jpeg

Description

"Big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America," writes the NPS. The Gunnison River has crafted this stunning landscape over the course of two million years. The result of this erosive force is a canyon that's over 2,000 feet deep, making it one of the deepest and narrowest canyons in the nation.

This dramatic landscape officially became a national park in 1999. Despite the overwhelming scale of the canyon, it's still one of the least-visited national parks not only in Colorado, but in the entire country. In 2019, it received just 433,000 visitors, which was a big jump from the 309,000 in 2018. (Source

But the lack of visitation isn't really a surprise. Located "a five-hour drive from the closest international airport in Denver and situated well away from major interstates, the Black could generously be called far-flung," writes Lindsey B. King on 5280.com. You also won't find many amenities in the park, above and beyond a few small campgrounds, of which only 23 sites provide RV hookups.

The bottom of the inner canyon "is a designated wilderness area, so there are no maintained trails leading to the Gunnison River at the bottom of the chasm," notes King. That said, there are a number of routes following popular social trails into the canyon, but the number of hikers on these trails is strictly regulated via a permit system. One of the most popular and easiest descents into the canyon follows the Gunnison Route, but even this trail requires some serious scrambling down shifting scree and heavily-eroded dirt gullies, earning it an "Extreme" FATMAP difficulty rating.

If you're looking for a tamer trail that minimizes the abuse and maximizes the views, try the North Vista Trail or the Warner Point hike on for size. The Oak Flat Loop splits the difference, dropping a short way into the canyon before quickly climbing back out. 

Finally, if you've somehow managed to visit the Black Canyon on a rare busy day, some of the trails will still leave the crowds behind (even without a permit). The Deadhorse Trail traverses an isolated sagebrush landscape, ending at an overlook of Deadhorse Gulch that feeds into the Gunnison River.

Adventures

Gunnison Route

The "easiest" route down to the bottom of the canyon is still a formidable adventure.

Oak Flat Loop

Stunning views with a bit more climbing than most rim hikes in the park.