Day 6: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (South Rim)
Sunrise at Dragon Point Overlook
Sunday, September 18, 2022 was spent exploring the South Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, the busier and more developed side of the park.
I started my day watching the sunrise at Dragon Point Overlook, one of 12 overlooks along South Rim Road, the scenic drive that follows the canyon rim for 7 miles from Tomichi Point to High Point.
Rim Rock Nature Trail
Next, I headed to Campground Loop C, located near the park entrance, to hike the Rim Rock Nature Trail. This mostly flat trail runs along the rim, offering excellent views of the Gunnison River and the sheer walls of the canyon, and ends at the South Rim Visitor Center. The 2-mile out-and-back hike took me about 1.5 hours to complete.
East Portal Road
After hiking back to my car, I drove down East Portal Road to the Gunnison River. This steep, winding road provides the easiest way to reach the river and is located right next to the South Rim Entrance Station. Immediately after passing through the entrance, look for the signed road on the right. I spent about an hour wandering along the Gunnison River.
Overlooks on South Rim Road
Next, I drove back up East Portal Road to continue along South Rim Road, stopping at the various overlooks along the way. Most overlooks are reached by short trails, ranging from 100 yards (Gunnison Point and Chasm View) to 357 yards (Cross Fissures View), with the longest being Devil’s Lookout at 607 yards.
Warner Point Nature Trail
At High Point, the final overlook on the South Rim Drive, I hiked the Warner Point Nature Trail, a 1.5-mile trail that winds around the rim offering breathtaking views of the Gunnison River, San Juan Mountains, Uncompahgre Valley, Bostwick Park to the south, and the West Elk Mountains to the north. The hike took me about an hour to complete.
Sunset at Cedar Point Nature Trail
Next, I visited Cedar Point Nature Trail, a 0.5-mile out-and-back nature trail featuring educational signs about the flora around in the area. At the end, two overlooks offer breathtaking views of the river and the famous Painted Wall, the tallest cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet. It was a beautiful spot to watch the sunset.
Night Sky at Chasm View Overlook
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was certified as an International Dark Sky Park in September 2015. In April 2022, I upgraded from my Canon Rebel T6 to the Canon R6, partly because I had read it was a powerful camera for astrophotography. Having lived in light-pollution-filled Chicago since 2007, I rarely get the chance to photograph the night sky, so I was thrilled for this opportunity, even though I was exhausted after hiking since before dawn.
According to the PhotoPills app, the Galactic Center (Milky Way Core) would be visible from 8:43–11:23pm. Since that was only about an hour after sunset (7:14pm), I was determined to stick around for just a little longer to try to get some good night sky photos!
After the sun set, I drove to Chasm View Overlook for stargazing. I chose that overlook because its distance from the road shields it from passing headlights. Even though it was only a short walk from my car to my camera spot, I made sure to bring my headlamp! Once I was happy with the photos I captured, I left the park around 10pm and headed back to the hotel to crawl into bed after a very long day.
