The black canyon of the Gunnison is deep — 1,800 to 2,700 feet from the rim to the river. And it’s narrow — so narrow that parts of the canyon floor get only 33 minutes of sunlight a day.
This gorge has been formed by the same Gunnison River that fills Blue Mesa Reservoir to the east. The river and its canyon are very old, and that accounts for a curious thing.
As you can see from the photo below, taken looking south, the park is on land that is higher than the surrounding area, 1,600 feet higher, in fact.
The river has cut its gorge through this high plateau, yet the level of the river bed is below that of the surrounding area. This raises an interesting question: Why does the river run through the plateau, instead of going the lower, easier way around?
The answer: The river’s course was already set before a gradual raising of the ground (called the Gunnison Uplift) began, two to three million years ago. Instead of changing course, the river simply carried on, resulting in the canyon (and the National Park) we can visit today. The park entrance is on Route 50, just east of Montrose, Colorado.
You can go all the way down there, if you choose.