Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
Several thoughts on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP:
1. Consider carefully where you intend to camp. The sites on top in the main park are small pull-outs alongside the road, all gravel, very close together. Instead we went past the park road on the highway about 4-5 miles to the Curicanti campground, still an NP campground. 22 spaces, all FCFS. Paved, with normal spacing, but not a lot of privacy. $14/nt with senior pass. About 2,000 ft. lower than the top of the park, so not as cold at night. Small railroad display. About a 1 mile drive to the Gunnison before it enters the canyon. Worked well for us as a day trip to the top.
2. Takes a couple of hours to do the entire canyon at the top, depending upon photos and reading the signs. Some Ranger talks on geology. Canyon about 2000' deep. Smithsonian says the rocks at the bottom are the oldest in the country, 1 billion years old.
3. Take the drive down to the East Portal from the entrance shack. It is 5 miles of 16% downgrade! Don't even think about taking a trailer, and pay attention to length restrictions. Lots of switchbacks.
4. Time of day (sun) is important to taking photos. The canyon is on the north side of the park, so afternoon sun is best.
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