Black Canyon of the Gunnison Itinerary: Oak Flats to Warner Point

Wondering how long you need to spend in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park? Well, this Black Canyon of the Gunnison itinerary, can be done in a day or half a day – and you see EVERYTHING!

You see, Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a small park.

You get to the South Rim Visitor Center and that’s where the scenic drive begins. From there, it’s 7 miles to High Point at the end. All the hikes and lookouts are stops on that scenic drive, and once you get to the end, you’re done!

Black Canyon does have a North Rim, but this itinerary just covers the South Rim. The North Rim is actually 2 hours away from the South Rim even though it looks so close!

During my 2-year road trip across the US, I’ve visited over 1/3 of America’s national parks, and they’re one of the best things about this country.

I love experiencing these wondrous feats of nature! Exploring all the national parks and doing it on a budget has been an adventure of a lifetime, and I’ve written itineraries for all of them so that others can do the same.

I’ve been to Black Canyon of the Gunnison twice now, and loved it both times. It’s a spectacle to behold – a gigantic scar in the earth that tells an epic story.

So, let’s get straight to this Black Canyon of the Gunnison itinerary, plus where to camp for free!

What is Black Canyon of the Gunnison?

This national park is home to one of the steepest canyons in the US! And not only that, it’s also extremely deep and narrow. Put those three things together, and the Black Canyon is incomparable!

Being the narrowest, deepest, steepest canyon makes it SO impressive.

Looking down from all the overlooks, it’s hard just to grasp how sheer the fall to the river really is. Fun fact: its 2,200 feet almost straight down.

And, for reference, the canyon is so impassable that you can see the North Rim’s structures on the other side, but it’s a 2-hour drive to get there.

When I visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, I actually had no idea there was a national park in the area.

I was traveling north from Telluride and the Million-Dollar Highway and just happened to see it on the map. We decided to take a day to explore this off-the-beaten-path national park and it was so worth the detour!

How to Get to the Black Canyon

This national park is kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s 4 hours and 45 minutes from Denver and 5 hours and 35 minutes from Salt Lake City.

The closest larger airport is in Grand Junction, 1 hour and 20 minutes away.

The closest town is Montrose, and it’s 20 minutes from Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

I would recommend visiting Black Canyon National Park as part of a Colorado road trip. It’s not a national park that’s the main reason for a trip, like Rocky Mountain National Park could be. But it’s an amazing stop for any road trip.

It’s also a stop on the Grand Circle road trip, which is by far the best road trip through the Southwest. You see 6 of America’s best national parks – 7 with the Black Canyon!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison Itinerary

1. Visitor Center

As my national park itineraries usually due, this on starts with a visit to the Visitor Center.

Get your park stamp and watch the film. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison film has been one of my favorite park films because of the animation that explains how the canyon was formed and the crazy amount of water that flows through it!

The Visitor Center also has a lot of cool visuals, but my favorite was a microscope under which you can slide different rock samples – the rocks that make up the canyon.

I never knew how beautiful a random rock could be.

After that, it’s time for the first of two hikes of the day.

2. Oak Flat Trail

The Oak Flat Trail is right next to the Visitor Center and is the hike that goes deepest into the canyon without needing a permit.

In my opinion, this hike was the best thing we did in Black Canyon. It also had the best views.

Even though it’s a short hike (1.6 miles), it’s marked as strenuous because you do go WAY down into the canyon. That means the way up is pretty steep. You gain 340 feet of elevation during the hike. It was worth it, though!

If you want to hike longer, you can link the Oak Flat Trail with the Uplands Trail. I decided not to because half the hike is on flat land away from the canyon, and I just wanted to be next to the canyon.

Check out this trail map for Black Canyon of the Gunnison to browse all the trails!

3. Scenic Drive and Overlooks

After the Oak Flat Trail, get in your car and drive from one outlook to another.

I was able to stop at all the overlooks. They’re all really close to the road and, though you have to walk to some, the walks are always easy.

But you definitely don’t need to visit all the overlooks – some were just more of the same (which is to say they were amazing, but you get me)!

Here are some honorable mentions. These are overlooks you just can’t miss:

• Pulpit Rock Overlook: This is the first overlook and one of the best. It’s a quick walk from the road, and you get to a pulpit from which you can see the canyon in all its glory. I had breakfast here both times I visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison, so I have some great memories at this overlook.
• Devil’s Lookout: This overlook is 607 yards from the road, but the hike is worth the view! The cliffs you see are special. You get to see the different layers of rock in the cliffs and seams running through the walls like they were put there on purpose.
• Chasm View: You can guess what you’ll see here from its name! And you get one of the best, clearest views of the river raging down below.
• Painted Wall View: This was my favorite! It’s where you can see Colorado’s tallest single cliff, which looks like a total piece of art! If you take binoculars or have a good camera lens, try to see if you can pinpoint climbers on the wall. I could just barely see a pair of climbers, and it REALLY gives you a perspective of the immensity of the cliff!

4. Warner Point Trail

The 7-mile scenic drive ends at the Warner Point Trailhead. This is a 1.5-mile hike (round-trip) with 450 feet of elevation gain, which is more than Oak Flat, but spread out more evenly.

So, the Warner Point Trail hike feels easier.

It’s a beautiful hike, and you get absolutely gorgeous view at the end. You get a view straight down the canyon, with the green river down there.

We spent a while at the outlook and even took a well-deserved nap.

All that’s left is the scenic drive back and, just like that, this Black Canyon of the Gunnison itinerary has come to an end!

Cheers to a great day.

Bonus: Ranger Programs

We attended a free Ranger Program about rocks, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it!

I realize it sounds boring, but it was SO much fun. There were rock samples and everything, and we actually learned a bunch about the park’s geology.

Honestly, what made the program so good was probably the ranger’s excitement and knowledge – he just knew how to get you curious. He opened it up for questions at the end and was able to answer every question extremely deeply.

It was a great experience!

They usually hold Ranger Programs at the Visitor Center, and sometimes at Pulpit Rock. You can get more info at the Visitor Center!

Exploring the Inner Canyon

My first thought when I visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was, “Can I hike down to the river?”

As it turns out, you can hike down, but it requires a permit.

Beyond that, it also requires a high fitness level and very technical hiking skills. Because of how steep the canyon is, getting down to the river is no easy task, with loose rock and extremely sheer grades.

Here are some useful things to know:

1. Getting a permit: Thankfully, getting a permit is actually pretty easy. It’s on a first come first serve basis, and it’s free. All you have to do is request a permit at the North or South Rim Visitor Centers. With that in mind, they only allow a limited number of people on the trails down to the river each day, so you have to show up early to make sure you get yours.
2. Rock climbing: Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a proving ground for trad climbers, who climb up the canyon’s vertical walls with nothing but their fingers. When you get to Painted Wall View, try to look for tiny people climbing up the wall. That’ll give you some perspective on how tall it is! You can expect to see climbers mostly during the spring and fall.
3. Kayaking: the Gunnison River is a raging, impassable river (funny how I’ve already used the word “impassable” twice for this park). Unless you’re an elite kayaker, there’s nothing for you to do on the river’s Class V rapids. The park film does a good job illustrating just how much water flows through the canyon by asking you to imagine a certain number of basketballs flowing through the canyon every second. It’s a LOT of basketballs.

Camping Near Black Canyon of the Gunnison

I’m all about budget adventure travel, which means I prefer to camp, and do it for free when possible. I camped for free all over the US during my 2-year road trip, and one of those places was Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Now, the most convenient camping closest to Black Canyon of the Gunnison is inside the national park, at the South Rim Campground.

The campground is first-come, first-served most of the year, but you have to make reservations for mid-May to mid-October. The fee is $20 per night for a site, or $34 for a site with electricity hookups.

When it comes to free camping, it’s not nearly as convenient, but I prefer to drive a bit than to pay to sleep on the ground.

I created a map of all the free car camping sites I found during my Colorado road trip, and you can access it here for FREE:

I slept at a site called Peach Valley OHV in the hills outside of Montrose. It’s a developed lot for car camping and RV parking. It even has bathrooms, and it was quiet both times I stayed there. It’s 30 minutes from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Visitor Center.

Closer to the park, there’s an area called Black Canyon Dispersed, but I didn’t check it out, so I couldn’t give you a review of the place.

Wherever you do end up going, use the apps iOverlander or Campendium to find a bunch of options and, best of all, see other people’s reviews of the sites.

I like having 2 or 3 options when I’m looking for free camping just in case the first is too full already (which happens a lot).

Black Canyon of the Gunnison Hotels

There are no hotels in the park or right by it, but Montrose is just 20 minutes away, and it has some good budget hotels.

📍1st Interstate Inn Montrose

This motel isn’t that highly rated, but the pictures look nice. It has A/C, rooms are private and continental breakfast costs 10 cents. It’s 19 minutes from Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

📍Super 8 by Wyndham Montrose

This hotel is a simple, classic road-side hotel. It’s highly rated and also offers continental breakfast for 10 cents. This one is 15 minutes from Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

If you want to browse more hotels in Montrose, check out the map below. I made it to only show hotels under $200 per night.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts: Black Canyon of the Gunnison Itinerary

I hope this Black Canyon of the Gunnison itinerary helps you plan your trip!

After visiting this amazing national park, consider traveling south towards Telluride and the Million-Dollar Highway.

And if that’s where you’re coming from, you could drive north to Grand Junction and the Colorado National Monument.

If you have any questions about anything, feel free to comment below and I’ll be sure to answer!