Mileage:  67,482

South Rim Campground Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Montrose, Colorado

We began the day with an easy drive south to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

We were able to get a campsite at the South Rim Campground in the park.  It is a no hookup site and no generators are allowed here, so we will not be able to stay more than one night where we are.

We packed food in the cooler and headed out to explore the park.  This canyon is not like other places we have been.  Here the canyon was carved by the power of the Gunnison River.  The canyon is dark, jagged, and severe but also lovely.  The Gunnison River wends its way through the ragged rocks far below.  Most of the canyon is about 2,000 feet deep.   The pictures really do not do a good job of conveying the beauty and expansiveness of this place. This canyon dwarfed us and made us feel very tiny. The pictures are just pieces of a very large puzzle.

We did a couple of short hikes today.  We are up around 8,000 feet.  We would like to get out and do more hiking but with the thinner air at these higher elevations…we struggle!  Our first walk was to Devil’s Overlook.

More puzzle pieces…

Our second hike was along the Warner Nature Walk.

We traveled the park road to the end and then decided to take the East Portal Road down into the canyon to the Gunnison River.

More spectacular views.

The Gunnison River was diverted under the mountain in a 6 mile tunnel to the farmland on the other side of the mountain.  The tunnel was built early in the 1900’s to provide water for the surrounding valley.  This project was later deemed an engineering marvel and given a national civil engineering award.

We made southwestern chicken salad for our dinner. We sat listening to music, by the fire, watching the stars come out. The half moon was so bright that it cast a shadow. We feel closer to the sky but still infinitesimally small…