Black Canyon National Park

Earlier in the year when we were in Northwestern Colorado a couple locals told me about a cave in the area. A cave that has a lake inside, with eyeless fish. We drove an hour to get there, hiked up to the opening and went inside just a little ways. We only had a couple flashlights and since it was an undeveloped cave, we were actually a little scared to go too far inside, so we turned around and vowed to come back again better prepared. We thought about going there this past weekend, but we decided against it since we thought it would be too far for a day trip.

Instead I break out the road atlas and found another one of those "green areas" south of us, that didn't look too far, so we packed up some drinks and snacks and headed off for The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

We headed south on scenic Hwy 65, otherwise known as The Grand Mesa Scenic Byway. Turns out the mountain that I had been calling Grand Mesa, isn't. Here we are driving over Grand Mesa. The mountain range in the far right distance is the mountain I see from the RV, not Grand Mesa, someday I'll learn the name.


After leaving the mountain we were in cattle country. And donkey territory.

He's about as afraid of cars as the deer are around here.

Check out the road to even get to this National park.

When I took the pic I didn't even notice the very edge of the canyon walls, doesn't really look like much, huh? Take a walk to the edge:

Holy cow! It was way more than we were expecting, it's freakin' deep. As it turns out, this canyon is the deepest, sheerest canyon in North America, with the water in the Black Canyon falling more than ten times faster than the Grand Canyon.


Rock that makes up the canyon walls: They appear black because the walls are so close together, and so deep, casting lots of shade, darkening the appearance. At least that's my uneducated guess. :)

Blue haired Jonas leaning over the railing.

Trying to see the bottom.

Jake asked if he could pee over the canyon, I said "sure".
Shocked, "Really?"

Click. No, but thanks for the photo.

It took us almost four hours to get there, and we only got to the North Rim. We had planned on driving around the entire park and viewing both rims but that would have taken another three or four hours. The cave with fish with no eyes, would have taken an hour and a half....max. I'm so glad we came though, and hope to see it again from the south and also check out the visitor center there, and maybe be there during sunrise or sunset to get better pictures that aren't blinded by the sun. Now we know.

Montrose on Dwellable