I had decided to include Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park as part of our trip on a whim. It wasn't too far out of the way on our drive from Moab to Rocky Mountain, and I figured we weren't likely to be in that neck of the woods again anytime soon. Black Canyon is a small national park not known for its hiking trails, so we planned to only spend two nights.
I don't think my expectations could have been exceeded any more dramatically than they were in this little national park. The weather alone was worth the stop! After the intense, desert heat of canyon country, we were delighted to find the high on the south rim to be in the low 80's both days we were there. Big, puffy white clouds drifted overhead, providing occasional shade throughout our stay, and a steady breeze blew across the green hillsides.
The south rim campground, operating on a first-come first-served basis, had plenty of open campsites when we arrived. Our campsite turned out to be a fantastic location for birding, with small, colorful birds darting and hopping about the serviceberry bushes and small trees around the campground. I spotted two new species for my life-list right in our campsite - the Green Tailed Towhee and the Willow Flycatcher, a hard-to-identify bird given away by its peculiar upward tail twitch. Other colorful birds seen frequently included Yellow Warblers and Western Tanagers.
The Black Canyon itself was impressive. 2,000 feet deep in places, and only tens of feet across, Black Canyon earned its name because very little light can penetrate its depths. Peering down from one of the many overlook points on the south rim, there are places where it is impossible to see to the floor of the canyon. The mighty Gunnison River, the architect of the canyon, carves a violent path through the deepest part of the gorge. Paddled by only the most advanced kayakers, the Gunnison is a spectacle in whitewater. Looking down from the rim, we noticed twin waterfalls pouring over a rock far below. The falls looked to be a few feet in height. A park ranger told us that they are actually twenty-foot falls. The size and scale of the Black Canyon was difficult to grasp by looking at it.
While we were checking out the view from the rim, we spotted several birds of prey soaring over the abyss, including Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and Red-tailed Hawks. The Peregrine Falcons will chase down the White-Throated Swifts and Violet-Green Swallows that dart along the rim rock. Black Canyon is a great park for birding!
In the evening program on predator-prey relationships we learned a great deal about the mammal population of the canyon. For example, I didn't know that Mule Deer can find all of the water they need by eating plants that contain moisture. This is an important adaptation, considering the challenging, 2,000 foot descent needed to reach the river. The park ranger also said that Mountain Lions and Bobcats were quite common in the park, and that people had been seeing Bobcats frequently of late. When we would later hike the Warner Nature Trail, we couldn't help the temptation of calling "here, kitty, kitty, kitty!" The feline population never made an appearance for us, however.
The paths into the canyon's depths are difficult scrambles down scree slopes, not something we were interested in undertaking. We did take the East Portal Road, which dropped to the banks of the Gunnison upstream from the most constricted portion of the canyon. The drive had spectacular scenery all the way to the floor of the canyon. The lush, green of Black Canyon was a welcome site after the arid conditions of Utah.
After 36 hours in the park we packed up and headed on to Rocky Mountain National Park. Our stay in Black Canyon was short, but we were truly impressed with this beautiful park with sublime weather!
