Black Canyon of the Gunnison: A 2-Day Itinerary
One park, the deepest, darkest canyon, in western Colorado.
Two days at one of the steepest, deepest, narrowest canyons in North America: the South Rim Drive overlooks, Painted Wall, the best rim hikes, and Dark Sky stargazing above the Gunnison River.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
10 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Black Canyon: every stop pinned in order.
South Rim Drive, Painted Wall & the Gunnison River · western Colorado
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Black Canyon in photos: 5 of the stops.
Plan and book your 2 days in Black Canyon, one step at a time
- South Rim Road, North Rim Road and East Portal Road are all open as of September 19, 2026, and every South Rim trail on this plan is open. Rim Rock and Uplands trails pass through the area burned in the 2025 South Rim Fire: expect uneven ground and blowing ash. Source
- From about mid-November to late April the South Rim Road is open only to Gunnison Point at the visitor center. Chasm View, Painted Wall, Sunset View and Warner Point are then reachable only on skis or snowshoes, so this plan works as written only until mid-November. Source
How 2 days in Black Canyon split up
Plan 2 days for Black Canyon. Total distance: ~25 mi. Difficulty: Easy–Hard. Parks pass: $30 / car. Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the steepest, deepest, and narrowest canyons in North America. Its sheer dark walls plunge more than 2,000 feet to the Gunnison River below, and in the narrowest stretches the gorge is so deep and tight that parts of it get only a few minutes of direct sunlight a day, which is exactly how the canyon got its name.
Day 1: The South Rim Drive · overlooks & Painted Wall
6 stops · Day one
Day 2: Rim hikes, the inner canyon & Dark Sky stars
4 stops · Day two
The South Rim Drive · overlooks & Painted Wall
Get to the park early. From Montrose it is about 20 minutes to the South Rim entrance, and you will want time at the visitor center near Gunnison Point for the orientation, the canyon geology, and the free wilderness use permit if you plan any inner canyon scrambling. Then start working your way along the paved South Rim Drive, the main scenic road, stopping at the short walks out to each overlook.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Drive from
~25 min to the visitor center · closest base to the South Rim · DriveMontrose is the closest base to the park, about 20 minutes from the South Rim entrance, with the nearest hotels, gas, and groceries. Fly into Montrose (MTJ) or Grand Junction (GJT), grab a rental car, and stock up here before you head up to the rim for the day.
- Visitor center & Gunnison Point
Orientation · free wilderness permit · ViewpointStart at the South Rim Visitor Center near Gunnison Point for the canyon geology, current conditions, and the free wilderness use permit if you plan any inner canyon scrambling. The overlook right here gives you your first vertigo-inducing look straight down into the gorge.
- Pulpit Rock & Chasm View
The canyon at its narrowest · ViewpointWork along the South Rim Drive to Pulpit Rock and Chasm View, where the gorge pinches to its narrowest and you stare straight down roughly 1,800 feet to the Gunnison River. These are among the most dramatic overlooks in the park, each a short walk from the road.
- Painted Wall View
Highest cliff in Colorado · 2,250 ft · ViewpointPainted Wall View looks across at the highest cliff in Colorado, a 2,250-foot wall of dark gneiss streaked with pale bands of pegmatite. It is the signature view of the South Rim and photographs best in the warmer light of early morning or late afternoon.
Sunset ViewWarm light on the dark walls · ViewpointFinish the day at Sunset View near the far end of the South Rim Drive, where the low light turns the dark walls warm and the depth of the canyon really lands. Linger after the sun drops, since this is a Dark Sky park and the stars come out fast.
- Stay in Montrose
Closest base · hotels, gas & food · lodgeBase in Montrose, about 20 minutes from the South Rim entrance, with the closest hotels, gas, and groceries. If you would rather sleep in the park, the South Rim Campground is the only in-park option and fills on summer weekends, so reserve through recreation.gov ahead.
Rim hikes, the inner canyon & Dark Sky stars
Spend the morning on the two best rim hikes. The Rim Rock / Oak Flat Loop (about 2 miles) dips below the rim through scrub and pinyon-juniper for the only easy taste of being inside the canyon, while the Warner Point Nature Trail (about 1.5 miles round trip) runs out to the end of the South Rim Drive for a wide-open view down the canyon and across the valley to the San Juan and West Elk mountains. Both are short and rewarding, and neither requires a permit.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Rim Rock / Oak Flat Loop~2 mi · dips below the rim · HikeStart with the Rim Rock / Oak Flat Loop (about 2 miles), the only easy hike that dips below the rim through scrub and pinyon-juniper for a taste of being inside the canyon. It does not require a permit and is the best short hike in the park for most visitors.
- Warner Point Nature Trail
~1.5 mi RT · end of the drive · HikeDrive to the end of the South Rim Drive for the Warner Point Nature Trail (about 1.5 miles round trip), which runs out to a wide-open view down the canyon and across the valley to the San Juan and West Elk mountains. It is short, scenic, and permit-free.
- Inner canyon route (experienced only)
Gunnison Route from the visitor center · permit required · HikeFor fit, experienced scramblers only: the unmaintained inner canyon routes like the Gunnison Route and S.O.B. Draw drop roughly 1,800 to 2,700 feet to the river over loose rock, brush, and a fixed chain. There is no maintained trail. Pick up the free wilderness use permit at the visitor center first, and turn back if conditions feel beyond you.
Dark Sky stargazingCertified Dark Sky park · stay after dark · ViewpointEnd your trip after dark. Black Canyon is a certified International Dark Sky park with some of the darkest skies in Colorado, so pick an overlook, let your eyes adjust, and take in the Milky Way over the gorge. Bring warm layers, a headlamp, and a red light to protect your night vision.
Book the 1 night
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the checking. We find what is still open near each trailhead and email you this plan back with a booking link for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Black Canyon
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
What we actually learned on the rim.
Pay the entrance fee or bring your pass
Black Canyon of the Gunnison charges about $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. The annual America the Beautiful pass ($80) also covers entry and pays off fast if you visit other national parks. Pay at the South Rim entrance or online ahead of time.
Go late spring through early fall
The South Rim Road past the visitor center closes for the winter, and the remote North Rim and its gravel access close in the cold months too. May through September is the prime window, with the most facilities open and the best access to the overlooks and rim hikes.
The inner canyon is no joke
There is no maintained trail to the Gunnison River. Routes like the Gunnison Route and S.O.B. Draw are steep, unmaintained scrambles down 1,800 to 2,700 feet of loose rock and brush, with a fixed chain on the worst pitch. They require a free wilderness use permit and serious experience.
It is a world-class river below
The inner gorge holds Gold Medal trout fishing, expert-only whitewater kayaking, and big-wall rock climbing. All of it is for experienced, self-sufficient parties only, and most of it requires a wilderness permit from the visitor center.
Base in Montrose, or camp the South Rim
Montrose sits about 20 minutes from the South Rim entrance and has the closest hotels, gas, and groceries. The in-park South Rim Campground is the only lodging inside the park and fills on summer weekends, so reserve through recreation.gov ahead. Gunnison is the other nearby base.
Stay for the dark sky
Black Canyon is a certified International Dark Sky park, with some of the darkest skies in Colorado. Plan at least one night around stargazing from an overlook, and pack a headlamp, warm layers, and a red light to keep your night vision.
Dress for poison ivy, even when it is hot
The dry, desert look of the rim fools people into shorts, but the Oak Flat Loop and the inner canyon routes push through dense poison ivy. Wear long pants and long sleeves even in warm summer temperatures. The pants also protect your shins from the loose, sharp scree on any route that drops below the rim.
The drops are sheer, mind the vertigo
Unlike the Grand Canyon's gradual slope, the Black Canyon drops almost straight down. Most of the short Day 1 walks end at open, largely unrailed overlooks above a roughly 2,000-foot plunge, which can be intense for anyone prone to vertigo or traveling with young kids. Keep back from the edge and hold onto children near the viewpoints.
Black Canyon: questions before you go
Black Canyon wilderness permit: the questions people ask most.
Two days is plenty for most visitors. That gives you a full day for the South Rim Drive and all its overlooks, including Painted Wall and Chasm View, and a second day for the Oak Flat and Warner Point rim hikes plus an evening of Dark Sky stargazing. If you are an experienced scrambler planning an inner canyon route to the river, add an extra day and a free wilderness permit.
For most people the best Black Canyon of the Gunnison hiking is on the South Rim: the Rim Rock / Oak Flat Loop (about 2 miles, which dips just below the rim) and the Warner Point Nature Trail (about 1.5 miles round trip at the end of the South Rim Drive). Neither needs a permit. The strenuous inner canyon routes like the Gunnison Route and S.O.B. Draw are unmaintained scrambles to the river for experienced hikers only, and they require a free wilderness use permit.
Yes, but there is no maintained trail. Reaching the Gunnison River means taking one of the unmaintained inner canyon routes, such as the Gunnison Route or S.O.B. Draw, which drop roughly 1,800 to 2,700 feet over loose rock, brush, and a fixed chain. These are serious scrambles for fit, experienced parties only, and you need a free wilderness use permit from the visitor center before you go down.
Late spring through early fall, roughly May through September, is the prime window. The South Rim Road past the visitor center closes for the winter, and the remote North Rim and its gravel access close in the cold months. Summer brings the fullest access and the best stargazing, while early fall is quieter with cooler temperatures.
Most visitors base in Montrose, about 20 minutes from the South Rim entrance, which has the closest hotels, gas, and groceries. The in-park South Rim Campground is the only lodging inside the park and fills on summer weekends, so reserve through recreation.gov ahead. Gunnison, to the east, is another nearby option, especially if you are also exploring Curecanti and Blue Mesa Reservoir.
The canyon plunges more than 2,000 feet to the Gunnison River, and Painted Wall, the highest cliff in Colorado, rises 2,250 feet from the river to the rim. It is one of the steepest, deepest, and narrowest canyons in North America. The gorge is so deep and tight in places that parts of it receive only a few minutes of direct sunlight a day, which is how the Black Canyon earned its name.
Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ) is the closest, about 25 minutes from the South Rim entrance. Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) is roughly an hour and a half away and often has more flight options. From either, you will drive to the park, so pick up a rental car.
Yes, the inner gorge is famous for it. The Gunnison River through the canyon is designated Gold Medal trout water, and the whitewater is expert-only kayaking, while the dark walls draw serious big-wall rock climbers. All of these are for experienced, self-sufficient parties, and most require a free wilderness use permit from the visitor center, since access means descending the unmaintained inner canyon routes.
The permits are free, but the number issued for each inner canyon route is strictly limited per day, and they are typically first come, first served in person at the South Rim Visitor Center. If you plan to scramble to the river, line up before the center opens, generally around 8 AM, to be sure you get one. Always check the current permit process and daily limits with the park before you go, since these can change season to season.
No. Despite being grouped with the inner canyon routes, S.O.B. Draw starts on the North Rim, while the overlooks and rim hikes in this itinerary are all on the South Rim. Crossing between the two rims is not a quick hop across the canyon. It is roughly a 2-hour drive around on a mix of paved and gravel roads. If you have only a short two-day trip, stay on the South Rim and focus any inner canyon ambitions on the Gunnison Route, which drops from behind the South Rim Visitor Center.
Yes. Tell us your dates and we check what is still open for the plan on this page, then send it back with a booking link for each night and the total. Nothing is charged and nothing is held, and you pay the normal rate.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 2-day route. Same 8 stops.
- 1 night, South Rim Campground, inside the park
- $20
- Rental car, 2 days
- $120
- Gas, about 38 miles
- $10
- Park entry, one car
- $30
- 1 night, a room in Montrose
- from $125
- Rental car, 2 days
- $120
- Gas, about 38 miles
- $10
- Park entry, one car
- $30
- A private local guide, rooms and campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked October 2026
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All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
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