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1. Warner Point Trail
Ooh and ahh at the immensity of this canyon! Witness the power of the Gunnison River and the stunning beauty of this area as you take a hike along this dramatic family-friendly trail.
What You Need to Know
The hike to Warner Point is 1.5 miles roundtrip with about 150 feet of elevation gain. Grab a brochure at the beginning of the hike to learn more about the area as you stroll along.
This viewpoint provides extensive views of Black Canyon, which is 2,000 feet deep on average, and the surrounding area. The view of the West Elk Mountains from the end of the trail is spectacular!
Pets are not permitted on this hike.
Getting Here
From the South Rim Visitor Center, drive west along the South Rim Drive for 6 miles until you reach High Point at the very end of the road. Park here and look for the display that marks the beginning of the trail. Don’t forget to pick up a trail guide before you begin your hike.
2. South Rim Drive
Drive along the edge of the Black Canyon and soak in the phenomenal views. This gorgeous scenic drive travels to several sheer, steep overlooks that are guaranteed to give you vertigo!
What You Need to Know
The South Rim Drive is seven miles long. It travels from Tomichi Point to High Point, passing by the Visitor Center and campground along the way.
This road has twelve overlooks, so you can spend a good amount of your day driving around and stopping at each overlook. Most of the overlooks require a short hike to reach the viewing platform.
The most popular stops along the South Rim Drive are Gunnison Point, Pulpit Rock, Painted Wall View, and Sunset View. If you’re looking for solitude, try a viewpoint that isn’t listed above.
My absolute favorite view along the scenic drive is from Cedar Point — the Painted Wall looks impressive with the Gunnison River snaking below it! (I think this overlook is even better than the “official” Painted Wall View.)
Leashed pets are permitted at the overlooks along the South Rim Drive.
Getting Here
As you enter the park through the South Entrance Station, continue following the main road. Soon after passing the campground, you’ll reach Tomichi Point, which marks the beginning of the South Rim Drive.
3. Oak Flat Loop Trail
Get ready to explore a new landscape that lies just below the canyon rim! This trail is the perfect way to admire the dramatic vertical canyon walls and the mighty river that carved them.
What You Need to Know
After experiencing the canyon from above, you may be excited to drop down below the rim to get a different perspective! If you don’t have the experience to hike the inner canyon, consider hiking the Oak Flat Loop Trail instead.
This trail is 2 miles roundtrip and has an elevation change of 400 feet. You’ll hike into the trees below the rim and be treated to magnificent views of the canyon as it surrounds you!
Be advised that as you hike, you will encounter a few narrow sections of trail with steep drop-offs. If you plan on hiking with children, always keep them close by to make sure that they can safely navigate this trail.
Pets are not permitted.
Getting Here
This trail starts on the left side of the South Rim Visitor Center…look for the sign that marks where the trail begins. It’s a loop trail, so you’ll reach a junction early on. I suggest hiking the route counterclockwise to enjoy a more gradual ascent and to save the best views for last!
4. East Portal Road
See the park from a new perspective! Take a thrilling drive into the deep, dark canyon where the Gunnison River flows and the cliffs tower overhead.
What You Need to Know
The East Portal Road travels five steep miles to the bottom of the canyon. You’ll find a small campground, picnic area, and primitive trail when you reach the end of the road.
After spending so much time at the top of the cliffs looking down, it’s exciting to finally be at the bottom looking up! Fishing, birdwatching, and picnicking are popular activities here.
Vehicles over 22 feet (including RVs and trailers) are not permitted on this road because of narrow areas, steep grades (up to 16%), and hairpin curves.
If you’re an experienced hiker and are interested in hiking to the bottom of the canyon instead of taking the road, click here.
Getting Here
The East Portal Road is located right next to the South Rim Entrance Station. Immediately after passing through the entrance station, look for the signed road on your right.
5. North Vista Trail to Exclamation Point
Escape the crowds and enjoy a peaceful hike to this stunning canyon overlook!
What You Need to Know
The hike to Exclamation Point is 3 miles roundtrip and mostly flat.
It is located on the North Rim of the Black Canyon, which is located about 2.5 hours from the more popular South Rim. This side of the canyon is primitive, raw, and quiet! Expect dirt roads and no crowds if you venture out this far.
If you have a few days at the park, driving to the North Rim to see the views is worth it. If you are only in the park for a day, I’d skip this hike and stick with just the South Rim activities (#1-#4 of this list).
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
The nearest town to the North Rim of the park is Crawford, Colorado. If you plan on driving out to the park’s North Rim, I recommend talking to a ranger on the South Rim about current conditions and driving directions before heading out.
Have a fantastic first visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park! Click NEXT to discover other Colorado National Parks.
Wow, I’m doing a report on Black Canyon, this really helped for things to look up and write down, thanks!
You’re welcome!
Thank you so much for suggesting to hike the Oak Flat Loop Trail counter clockwise. It would have been a very different experience hiking in the other direction. I very much enjoy your work here.
Thanks Bill! Happy to help!
Information on hiking trail into the canyon? Hike down to gunnison river from campground?
I don’t provide that info here because I’ve never completed that hike…I’ve heard it’s quite the adventure though. Enjoy your time at Black Canyon!
We are going to BCOTGNP in mid July this year. Both my husband and I are very allergic to poison ivy, and I have read there is a lot of it around. What do you suggest we do, and avoid, in the park. We will be staying in Gunnison, and have one full day. Thank you.
I would talk to the rangers when you get there…they’ll be aware of where the current areas to avoid are!
My husband and I found this blog the morning we went to Black Canyon, and we were so very thankful. The visitor center does not have a lot of information about the trials, other than a map, but since we had read this we knew trails we wanted to do and why. The advice to hike Oak Flat Top Trail counterclockwise was wonderful. Thanks for such a great tip. Great job. We ended the day visit by driving down East Portal Road (we could smell our burning brakes at the bottom in our brand new car!!), and it was breathtaking. We even saw a bear by the river looking for fish.
Thanks Shelley! I’m so glad that you had such a great experience at Black Canyon!!
We’re going to Black canyon in Aug 2020.
One afternoon and the next day. Your “five things to do”
Looks great ! And doible.
Do you recommend dinosaur national Park for a stop for a day
We’re going north to Grand Teton and Yellowstone.
Dinosaur is awesome if you have the time!
We were just a Black Canyon of the Gunnison in early August. We made it a stop over on our way to Canyonlands. Wow were we impressed. We originally thought we would just spend the morning there but ended up spending all day and wishing we had planned for a longer stay. We stayed in the park campgrounds which were really nice. In the morning we walked the rim trail to the visitors center then back. Amazing views everywhere. We also drove Portal Road and it was a great way to get to the bottom of the canyon for a different perspective. We were able to make a lot of the stops on the South Rim Drive. Not a very busy park so it was nice to be able to see such beauty in peace. I would recommend this park to anyone.
Thanks for sharing details about your trip Ingrid! This park is totally one that took me by surprise as well. It sounds like you packed in a lot in a short amount of time…glad you were able to see the highlights!
Thank you for all your recommendations! I have used them in many national parks and trust them since you were a former park ranger. We have visited 41 of the 63 parks and hope to keep going!
Thanks Usha!