Frommer's National Parks of the American West
Chapter One
BLACK CANYON OF THE
GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK
by Don & Barbara Laine
Early American Indians and, later, Utes and Anglos avoided
the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, believing that no human
could survive a trip through its depths. Now, the deepest and
most spectacular 14 miles of this 48-mile canyon comprise
one of America's newest national
parks.
The Black Canyon, which had been a
national monument since 1933, became
a national park on October 21, 1999. In
a statement issued after the bill signing
ceremony, Pres. Bill Clinton called it a
"true natural treasure," adding, "Its
nearly vertical walls, rising a half-mile
high, harbor one of the most spectacular
stretches of wild river in America."
The Black Canyon ranges in depth
from 1,730 feet to 2,700 feet. Its width at
its narrowest point (cleverly called "The
Narrows") is only 40 feet at the river.
This deep slash in the earth was created
through 2 million years of erosion, a
process that's still going on-albeit
slowed by the damming of the Gunnison
River above the park. At 30,300
acres, the Black C ... read full excerpt from Frommer's National Parks of the American West, 5th Edtion ebook
