Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (redirected from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, 30,300 acres (12,272 hectares), W central Colorado, in the Rocky Mts. The park embraces the most spectacular stretch of the 53-mi (85-km) long Black Canyon, which is named for the sheer, dark-colored walls carved by the unspoiled Gunnison River. The narrow canyon is so deep (as much as 2,660 ft/811 m) that its bottom is in the shadows for most of the day. At the bottom, ancient Proterozoic rocks are exposed; wildlife in the park includes black bears, cougars, bobcats, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, and swifts. The area was designated a national monument in 1933 and became a national park in 1999.

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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Park, western Colorado, U.S. Comprising a narrow, deep gorge of the Gunnison River, the preserve, established as a national monument in 1933 and elevated to a national park in 1999, occupies an area of 51 sq mi (133 sq km). The canyon derives its name from its black-stained, lichen-covered walls, which accentuate the gloom of the chasm.

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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Parks

Address: 102 Elk Creek
Gunnison, CO 81230
Phone: 970-641-2337;
Fax: 970-641-3127;
Web: www.nps.gov/blca/
Size: 30,750 acres.
Established: Proclaimed a national monument on March 2, 1933. Wilderness designated on October 20, 1976. Redesignated as a national park on October 21, 1999.
Location: 15 miles east of Montrose and 50 miles west of Gunnison in west-central Colorado. To reach South Rim from Montrose, take US 50 and CO 347; to reach North Rim, take CO 92 south from Crawford and then North Rim Road (closed in winter).
Facilities: Campgrounds (é), picnic area, rest rooms (é), visitor center (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail. Entrance fee required.
Activities: Camping, hiking, mountaineering, horseback riding, fishing, rafting/kayaking, cross-country skiing, wildlife viewing, interpretive programs (summer months). The North Rim of the park is closed during the winter.
Special Features: Park protects the most spectacular 14 miles of the 53-mile-long Black Canyon, which has been carved by the Gunnison River. The unique and spectacular landscape of this sheer-walled canyon was formed slowly by the action of water and rock scouring down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

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See other parks in Colorado.