Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
This massive canyon has presented an impassable barrier to human beings since they first
trod these lands. Utes had settlements along Black Canyon's rim, but there's no evidence
of human habitation within the chasm itself. Early Spanish records of sojourns through
this part of the country make no mention of the gorge. John W Gunnison, who was com-
missioned to survey the Rockies for a future Pacific railroad, sought a crossing over the
river that would later bear his name. He bypassed the canyon in 1853 and continued west
until he and his party were massacred near Lake Sevier, Utah, by Utes (though there are
some who believe they were killed in a Mormon conspiracy).
The 1871 Hayden geological survey - again seeking a route for a Pacific railroad - was
the first to document the canyon. By 1900 settlers seeking water for irrigating crops in the
nearby Uncompahgre Valley looked to the river as a source. In 1901, Abraham Fellows
and William Torrence floated through the canyon on rubber mattresses, traveling 33 miles
in nine days. By 1905 construction of the 5.8-mile Gunnison Diversion Tunnel had begun
and it still provides water to farms today.
Though moves were afoot to protect the canyon as a national park as early as the 1930s,
it took until 1999 for its park status to be declared, protecting 14 of the canyon's 48 miles.
Activities
Hiking
The South Rim Visitor Center has maps and information on the park's hiking trails.
The Rim Rock Trail connects Tomichi Point with the visitors center only a quarter of a
mile away. From the visitor center, the easy 1.5-mile Oak Flat Trail passes through Gam-
bel oak, Douglas fir and aspen, and offers good views of Black Canyon. Take the Warner
Point Nature Trail, a 1.5-mile round-trip beginning at the end of South Rim Rd, before
watching the sunset from either High Point or Sunset View overlooks. From the remote
North Rim, the SOB Draw Trail heads to the river.
Rangers at the visitor center can issue a backcountry permit, if you want to descend one
of the South Rim's three unmarked routes to the infrequently visited riverside campsites.
Fishing
The Gunnison River, designated as Gold Medal Water and Wild Trout Water, offers some
of the best fishing in Colorado. (Of the 9000 miles of trout rivers in Colorado, less than
