Hey everyone,

We just got back from a long weekend of camping and hiking in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It was the first time visiting for both of us. We left after work and arrived to the south rim of the park just as it was getting dark. Turns out there was a star party that night, and we were able to check out a bunch of cool constellations through some huge telescopes.

Camping Under the Milky Way

The next morning we woke up early to take some photos of the viewpoints of the canyon from the road.

Tomichi Point Sunrise Panorama The Painted Wall Overlook Sunrise Lone Juniper

Once the visitor center opened, we headed in to get a Wilderness permit so we could "hike" down into the canyon. We were able to secure a permit for the Gunnison Route. It's only 1.5 miles long, but you drop 1,800. In the steepest section, there are chains installed to help you up and down the route.

The Gunnison Route

Once we made it down to the river, we carefully made our way around the bushes of poison ivy and found a nice rock to sit on and have lunch.

The Gunnison Route Destination The Gunnison Route Destination The Gunnison River Downstream The Gunnison Route Campground View

Since the weather was calling for high temps, we decided to bring our water filter. I ended up drinking nine liters of water: two on the way down, four at the river, and three on the way up. I would've drank more, but my pack only held three and I ran out on the way up. Turns out you can drink too much water... Just as we made it out of the canyon and back to relatively flat ground, I started getting serious cramps. I would stretch them out, walk for a minute and they would come back. Corrie is an EMT and realized that I was out of salt. She had a packet of Gatorade powder in her pack, but we didn't have water so I just ate it. It was like doing the cracker challenge. Trying to swallow powder without any saliva is, interesting. After I choked it down, my cramps were gone in like ten minutes. Lesson learned, but crazy stuff.

Back at the campground, we made dinner and then went out to the canyon for sunset. Not great light but some cool views of the pegmatite.

North Rim Campground View

The next day we woke up and getting out of the tent was HARD. We had the serious canyon shuffle going on. We ate breakfast and enjoyed the sunrise near camp.

The weather was looking good, so we decided to go on a longer, flatter hike out to Exclamation Point. This turned out to be my favorite view of the canyon. From this angle you get a spectacular view for how steep the canyon walls are.

Exclamation Point Exclamation Point The Black Canyon of the Gunnison

That evening we explored the viewpoints along the north rim. They are beautiful in a different way. The views on the south rim have grand panoramic views of big, steep walls, which is what the canyon is famous for. On the north side, the canyon seems more weathered and less steep, but it has lots of spires. 

The next day we had to drive home, but we decided to go for a short birding hike at sunrise to stretch our legs. We saw a handful of birds and critters, including a curious coyote. 

Western Tanager Baby Cotton-tail Northern Flicker Western Bluebird The Trickster - Coyote in Black Canyon National Park The Trickster - Coyote in Black Canyon National Park (2) Tree Fort Chipmunk Hanging in the Tree Fort

After the hike we headed back to the canyon for one last look before we headed out.

Apart from the loads of poison ivy in the canyon, this was such a fun park to explore. Definitely "hike" into the canyon if you can get a permit and explore the north rim. It was much less developed and crowded, which we preferred. Another awesome trip to a great park!