Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park


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August 26th 2013
Published: August 26th 2013
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Black Canyon of the Gunnison exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.

The Gunnison River through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park drops at an average of 95 feet per mile. By comparison, the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile.

The Black Canyon is incredibly deep and sheer, with plunging cliffs, soaring buttresses and a thundering river. The following lists will help you understand the physical size of the canyon in comparison to other canyons and man-made structures.


The Black Canyon is incredibly deep and sheer, with plunging cliffs, soaring buttresses and a thundering river. The following lists will help you understand the physical size of the canyon in comparison to other canyons and man-made structures.



Greatest Depth:

Warner Point
Chasm View
Gunnison Point 2,722 feet (829 m)
1,820 feet (555 m)
1,840 feet (561 m)



Narrowest Width:


At the rim (Chasm View)
At the river (The Narrows)
1,100 feet (335 m)
40 feet (12 m)


Total Length:
Length in National Park 48 miles (77 km)
14 miles (22.5 km)

The River:

Average descent over the entire length of canyon:
43 feet/mile (8 m/km)

Greatest decent: Occurs in the park at Chasm View -
240 feet/mile (45 m/km)


COMPARISONS TO OTHER CANYONS

Hells Canyon, Idaho and Oregon
This is the deepest canyon in North America. At He Devil Peak on the Idaho side, the canyon is 8,043 feet (2,452 meters) deep.
Grand Canyon, Arizona
The deepest part of Grand Canyon is about 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) deep. The average depth is 1 mile or 5,280 feet (1,609 meters).

The Royal Gorge, Colorado
At the suspension bridge this canyon is 1,053 feet (321 meters) deep.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,Wyoming
At Artist Point Overlook the canyon is 1,200 feet (366 meters) deep.
New River Gorge, West Virginia
The deepest canyon in the eastern United States is 1,400 feet (427 meters).
Canyons of the Nahanni, Northwest Territories, Canada
This canyon is in the Canadian northwest and is 3,300 feet (1,006 meters) deep.

Barranca Del Cobre, Chihuahua, Mexico
Copper Canyon, in north central Mexico is 6,165 feet (1,879 meters) deep.

Vikos Gorge, Epirus, Greece
One of the deepest canyons in Europe, it reaches a depth of 3,280 feet (1,000 meters).



Directions:


Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is located approximately 250 miles southwest of Denver.

South Rim: 15 miles east of Montrose, via U.S. Highway 50 and CO Highway 347

North Rim: 11 miles south of Crawford, via CO Highway 92 and North Rim Road (unpaved)

There is no bridge between the north and south rims of the canyon. Allow two to three hours to drive from one side to the other.


PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

By bus: To Montrose or Grand Junction

By train: To Grand Junction

There is no public transportation within the park.


Additional photos below
Photos: 13, Displayed: 13


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