Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - Part 2

Country Village RV Resort, Montrose, Colorado
August 17-23, 3,120 miles and 36 days into the trip.

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The canyon is 48 miles long. The National Park includes only 14 miles of the canyon. The 14 miles in the NP are the most ferocious of the 48 miles. The reason the canyon is deeper than wide is the Gunnison river's high rate of flow. The river drops more feet in the canyon then the Mississippi drops from it's headwaters to it's end in the Gulf of Florida. The Mississippi drops an average of 0.58 feet per mile, the Colorado drops an average of 7 feet per mile, and the Gunnison drops an average of 95 feet per mile. At one point in the NP the Gunnison drops 480 feet in 2 miles. At that point it can carry a 5000 pound (4 foot diameter) rock with ease. Those rocks are what has worn the canyon into the hard rock.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP Visitor Center.

Looking (east) up river. The river zig zags through the canyon. We are on the south rim. The north rim is on the left.

One of the observation points. That's the north rim on the other side. The canyon is 2,200 feet deep at this point.

That's Mom on the observation point. You can just make out the river on the lower right.

The jagged cliffs of the north side.

This is the narrowest point. 1,100 feet wide, 1,820 feet deep.

If it was not for the roar of the river, we could yell to the people on the north rim!

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