Black Canyon - Gunnison, Colorado

Colorado’s Black Diamond of Tourism

 The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is one of Colorado’s most thrilling national parks, as it contains 12 miles of marvelous scenery and a scenic gorge known as the Black Canyon, an amazing spectacle comparable with the Grand Canyon.  The Black Canyon is so named because of the effect the sun has on shading; the canyon actually looks very dark, even black, at some points of the day.  Though the scenery is vivid in its own right one of the reasons this national park is so popular with Colorado tourists is because of the wild life activity. 

 There is much in the way of bird watching and tourists can look up to see rare species like Great Horned Owls and eagles.  The Peregrine Falcon is said to be the world’s fastest flyer.  It can be observed in the spring and summer seasons around the Painted Wall area.  The Blue Grouse is another species found at the park and can usually be spotted in the sagebrush areas along roadsides.  The Cooper’s Hawk and Red Tailed Hawks are birds of prey that are frequently spotted by park visitors, whereas Turkey Vultures and Golden Eagles are often found up above the canyon rims.  The Canyon Wren is occasionally seen but more often heard, especially in the inner canyon and from Rock Point during the morning hours.

 How about wildlife?  You can spot many wild animals just by driving through the Black Canyon area, including elk and coyotes.  Mule deers in particular are often spotted as these creatures have easily adapted to their park surroundings.  Golden-mantled squirrels, chipmunks and mountain cottontails can be seen all over the park as well as gray rock squirrel and the yellow-bellied marmot.

 Less frequent but still possible sightings include bighorn sheep, skunks, badgers, long-tail weasels and ringtail cats.  Your best chance to see these elusive creatures is to stay out till dusk or get up at dawn and follow the trails of the inner canyon.  This also applies for the mountain lion, also known as the “ghost of the Rockies” because of its elusive nature.  Tourists report seeing this creature around oak and juniper forests.  Bobcat and black bears are also spotted near the natural woods.  Coyotes are occasionally spotted but more often heard at dawn from the campground sites.

 You might also see a Smooth Green Snake, Garter Snake or a Great Basin Gopher Snake if you’re crossing the road or walking around the rock gardens.  No poisonous snakes live in the park because of the cold temperatures in winter.  Be careful driving on the road as there is frequent animal crossing.  For the most fun, research the type of wildlife that you will be seeing so you can quickly identify each animal as it appears!