Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is located just outside of Montrose. We have passed this park at least five times without stopping, due to lack of time. But for this weekend warrior road trip to Telluride Bluegrass Festival, we made visiting this National Park a top priority. We camped on BLM land just outside the park entrance the night before. On Saturday morning, we drove the South Rim loop. There are many view points along the drive, most are located a short jaunt from the road through some brush. It is called the “Black Canyon” because parts of the canyon only receive 33 minutes of sunlight per day. The Gunnison River that flows through the canyon drops on average 34 feet per mile, making it the fifth steepest mountain descent in North America.
