Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP South Rim
- evelyn
- Oct 12, 2016
- 2 min read
This was a quick stop for us. We pulled in to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park around 11am and left fairly early the next morning. We set up camp right in the park at the South Rim Campground, then headed out to cruise the rim.
Of course we started with a trip to the visitor center. The short movie was a great recap of the history as well as the geology of the canyon and the tunnel. The rangers there were great and mapped us up and sent us on our way.
We traveled the South Rim Road and stopped at all the view points. Together there were eight and each had a short hike out to a man-made, safely handrailed viewpoint. All were breathtaking. The Painted Wall was a favorite stop. An incredible view of a sheer cliff face that appears black with streaks of pink and white swirling through. Mother Nature’s artist brush at work. I also enjoyed the Cedar Point Lookout. Along the route, the park had taken the time to label much of the flora. It was nice to put names to all of the desert life that we have been seeing over the last week.
We drove down the squirrelly, swirly East Portal Road to see where the Gunnison River is damned and now controlled before it hits the canyon. There was an interpretive trail that explained about tunnel and how it began. As well as the little town that popped up during the building of it. A truly amazing feat considering the technology of the time.
After our wandering it was time to head back to the campground for the night. It was easy, electric, and held out rig without question.Wooded and quiet, we saw deer and quail and enjoyed the peace and quiet by the fire. Ironically, the neighbors in the campsite next door were also neighbors from Maine. They joined us by the fire for cocktail, and we exchanged adventure stories. RVing certainly has its charm.
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