Colorado Est. 1999

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Canyon River

30,750 Acres

336,000/year Annual Visitors

$25 Entry Fee

May through October Best Time to Visit

Information: Cashless Operations Details

National Park Service National Park

Designated a national park in 1999, Black Canyon of the Gunnison in western Colorado contains some of the steepest cliffs and oldest exposed rock in North America. The Gunnison River drops an average of 95 feet per mile through the canyon, carving walls that are up to 2,722 feet deep and in places only 40 feet wide at the river.

Fun Facts

Our Black Canyon of the Gunnison Articles

Educational Resources

10 Fascinating Black Canyon Of The Gunnison Facts

13 min read

When to Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Loading weather...

Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month

High

Low

Crowds

Roads

Jan

93°

68°

Low

Open

Feb

90°

65°

Low

Open

Mar

82°

56°

Low

Open

Apr

72°

45°

Light

Open

May Best

61°

32°

Heavy

Open

Jun Best

53°

23°

Heavy

Open

Jul Best

50°

20°

Heavy

Open

Aug Best

53°

23°

Peak

Open

Sep Best

61°

32°

Peak

Open

Oct Best

72°

45°

Heavy

Open

Nov

82°

56°

Light

Open

Dec

90°

65°

Low

Open

Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)

Campgrounds in Black Canyon of the Gunnison

East Portal Campground

$20/night

East Portal Campground is located within Curecanti National Recreation Area, but is adjacent to and only accessible from Black Canyon National Park ($30 entrance fee)....

15 sites Reservable Campground is open 24 hours in the summer. Check out time is...

North Rim Campground

$20/night

The North Rim Campground is remote and has 13 sites dispersed among pinyon and juniper trees. Sites are first-come first-served; all payment is via Scan...

13 sites Reservable Fills often from Spring to Fall. Closed in winter and early spring...

South Rim Campground

$20/night

The South Rim Campground is located one mile (1.6 km) from the South Rim Visitor Center. All campsites are by reservation only through Recreation.gov. Sites...

88 sites Reservable Campground is open 24 hours a day, all year. Check out time...

Reserve a Site