Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

When most people see pictures of this place, they immediately think “Grand Canyon”. Nope, this is the Black Canyon! Located in western-ish Colorado, the Black Canyon was named so because of the steep and narrow canyon, that in some places, only sees 33 minutes of daylight per day. The canyon spends most of its time in shadows, and is home to the highest cliff in Colorado, the Painted Wall at 2,250ft. from rim to river.

Despite its remoteness, Black Canyon was surprisingly busy. Most people only go to the overlooks, so if you hike any of the short trails you are bound to find solitude. Despite visiting in the summer, the dry Colorado air kept things comfortable. The Black Canyon retains exceptionally dark skies, earning it an International Dark Sky Park designation. Stargazing is sure at its peak in this park, and I’ve used many night sky images as part of my composite work.

One thing I didn’t do was visit the river itself. You can either drive or hike down to the river. And just my luck, during my visit the road down to the river was under construction and closed to traffic. Hiking down can not only be strenuous, but it often covered in poison ivy. I think I’ll save my river visit for another day!