Top Reasons to Go
- Sheer of heights: Play it safe, but edge as close to the canyon rim as you dare and peer over into an abyss that's more than 2,700 feet deep in some places.
- Rapids transit: Experienced paddlers can tackle Class V rapids and 50°F water with the occasional portage past untamable sections of the Gunnison River.
- Fine fishing: Fish the rare Gold Medal Waters of the Gunnison. Of the 27,000 miles of trout streams in Colorado, only 329 miles have this "gold medal" distinction.
- Triple-park action: Check out Curecanti National Recreation Area and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, which bookend Black Canyon.
- Cliff-hangers: Watch experts climb the Painted Wall—Colorado's tallest vertical wall at 2,250 feet—and other challenging rock faces.