Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Place and Space

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a remarkable geologic marvel in Western Colorado. It features sheer rock walls and astonishing depths, at the bottom lies the Gunnison River. It is so named because of the dark shadows cast from the walls coupled with extreme depths, which hinder sunlight from reaching the bottom.

Photo Credit: Nefratiri Weeks

The Canyon lies to the east of the San Juan Mountains near Montrose and to the south of the West Elk Mountains near Paonia and Hotchkiss. The Canyon is part of the Gunnison National Park, which consists of 30,244 acres. Its coordinates are 38°34′0″N 107°43′0″W.

Map Courtesy of Google Maps

The Canyon begins at Colorado's largest body of water, Blue Mesa Reservoir, to the east, and stretches 48 miles to the west with an incredible descent of 43 feet per mile through the canyon.

Photo Credit: Nefratiri Weeks

The Canyon's sheer rock walls form a narrow steep opening creating a vast gash in the earth's lithosphere. Its greatest depth is at Warner Point measuring 2,722 feet while its narrowest point is only 40 feet across. The rock walls date from Precambrian Age and are composed of mainly metamorphic and igneous crystalline rock.

Photo Credit: Nefratiri Weeks

References: 

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park & Curecanti National Recreation Area Geologic Resource Evaluation Report. Jan. 2005. National Park Service US Dept. of the Interior. http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/publications/reports/blca_cure_gre_rpt_view.pdf. Retrieved October 18, 2010.

Black Canyon Dimensions, National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/dimension.htm. Retrieved October 18, 2010.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Canyon_of_the_Gunnison_National_Park. Retrieved October 18, 2010.