Edit filter log

' [[File:2009-08-27-06625-00 USA Colorado 347 BlackCanyonOfTheGunnison NP copy.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Black Canyon of the Gunnison]] The [[Gunnison River]] drops an average of {{convert|34|ft/mi}} through the entire [[canyon]], making it the 5th steepest mountain descent in [[North America]]. By comparison, the [[Colorado River]] drops an average of {{convert|7.5|ft/mi}} through the Grand Canyon. The greatest descent of the Gunnison River occurs within the park at Chasm View dropping {{convert|240|ft/mi}}.<ref name="BCD">{{cite web |title=Black Canyon Dimensions |publisher=National Park Service |url=http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/dimension.htm |accessdate=2007-07-29}}</ref> The Black Canyon is so named because its steepness makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate into its depths.dsaf; lasjdfkj alwekfo;aiefpohaowifpwuhgqiuowh ruigquerhgpqurehgierhpqworighqworihgpqwrhgpq wru hgurwhp gpqruhgepq oug ehpqoguqhprouhp qourhpq oeruhgqperuhgpqeourhgpqeorhgpqoerhgqpoghpqeoirgpqoeihgpeohgihpqeorighqproihgpqirhgpqoire hpogiqehrpogi hpqoerihgpqoirhegpoqi rhgpqeorihgqp orihgq;eorhgp qer As a result, the canyhttp://www.nps.gov/blca/historyculture/railroad.htm |accessdate = 2014-06-24}}</ref> On August 13, 1882, the first passenger train passed through the Black Canyon. The editor of the Gunnison Review-Press rode in one of the observation cars; he remarked that the canyon was "undoubtedly the largest and most rugged canyon in the world traversed by the iron horse. We had often heard of the scenery of this canyon, but no one can have the faintest conception of its grandeur and magnificence until they have made a trip through it. It is a narrow gorge with walls of granite rising in some places to a height of thousands of feet…Throughout its entire length there is probably not a quarter of a mile of straight track on it. It is a serpentine road in every respect and the curves are frequent and sharp. In hundreds of places the walls of granite are perpendicular and in many places the road bed is blasted out in the side of the walls of rock which overhang the track." He went on to proclaim, "Another such a feat of railroad engineering probably can not be found in the world, and there is probably no section of Colorado or of the whole country where such a varied and interesting lot of scenery can be found."<ref>{{cite news |title= Black Canon - The First Passenger Train Through Sunday, August 13, 1882. |publisher= Gunnison Review-Press |page= 1 |date= August 14, 1882 }}</ref> [[File:Cimarron_Rail_-_theperfectstorm.jpg|thumb|left|Preserved rail bridge over Cimarron Creek]] In the hopes of running the railroad through the rest of the Black Canyon, Palmer sent his top engineer Bryan Bryant on an inner canyon exploration. Bryant set off with a 12-man crew in December 1882 expecting to complete the survey in 20 days; he returned in 68. "Eight of the twelve-man crew left after a few days, terrified of the task in front of them. What the rest of the men saw was spectacular and had never been seen by another human." Bryant reported that the Black Canyon was impenetrable, and that it was impossible to build anything in its depths.<ref>{{cite book|title=Images of America - The Black Canyon of the Gunnison|last=Vandenbusche|first=Duane|date=2009|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-6919-2|page=8}}<!--|accessdate= 2014-07-28--></ref> Heeding Bryant's advice, Palmer decided to route the railroad south of the canyon and in March 1883, it completed its connection to [[Salt Lake City]] and for a brief period the canyon was on the main line of a transcontinental railroad system. While the railroad and early visitors used the canyon as a path to Utah and mines to the southwest, later visitors came to see the canyon as an opportunity for recreation and personal enjoyment.<ref>{{cite web | title = BCOTGNP : History & Culture : Animals | publisher = National Park Service | url = http://www.nps.gov/blca/historyculture/people.htm | accessdate = 2007-07-29 }}</ref> [[Rudyard Kipling]] described his 1889 ride through the canyon in the following words: "We entered a gorge, remote from the sun, where the rocks were two thousand feet sheer, and where a rock splintered river roared and howled ten feet below a track which seemed to have been built on the simple principle of dropping miscellaneous dirt into the river and pinning a few rails a-top. There was a glory and a wonder and a mystery about the mad ride, which I felt keenly..."<ref>{{cite book |last= Kipling |first= Rudyard |date= 1900 |title= From Sea to Sea, and Other Sketches |url= https://archive.org/stream/fromseatosealet02kiplgoog#page/n8/mode/2up |publisher= Macmillan and Co. |isbn= 978-1596058248 |accessdate= 2014-07-29}}</ref> By 1890, an alternate route through [[Glenwood Springs, Colorado|Glenwood Springs]] had been completed and the route through the Black Canyon, being more difficult to operate, lost importance for through trains. However, local rail traffic continued over the "Black Canyon Line" until the route was finally [[Abandoned railway|abandoned]] in the early 1950s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Athearn |first=Robert |title=The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=1977 |isbn=0-8032-0920-7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.drgw.net/info/BlackCanyon|title=DRGW.Net {{!}} Black Canyon / Cerro Summit Main Line|website=www.drgw.net|access-date=2018-05-13}}</ref> Today, various elements of the railroad have been preserved in the [[Cimarron, Colorado|Cimarron]] area including a [[D & RG Narrow Gauge Trestle|steel bridge]] in Cimarron Canyon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitmontrose.com/191/Historical-Sites-and-Tours|title=Historical Sites and Tours {{!}} Visit Montrose, CO|website=www.visitmontrose.com|language=en|access-date=2018-05-13}}</ref> === The Gunnison Tunnel === In 1901, the [[Uniteg men. In spite of good pay and fringe benefits, most disliked the dangerous underground conditions and stayed an average of only 2 weeks." 26 men were killed during the 4 year undertaking. The tunnel was finally completed in 1909, stretching a distance of 5.8 miles and costing nearly 3 million dollars. At the time, the Gunnison Tunnel held the honor of being the world's longest irrigation tunnel. On September 23, President William Howard Taft dedicated the tunnel in Montrose.<ref>{{cite book |last= Clark |first= David |date= 1994 |title= Uncompahgre Project |publisher= Bureau of Reclamation |pages= 6–9 |accessdate= 2014-07-28}}</ref> The East Portal of the Gunnison Tunnel is accessible via East Portal Road which is on the South Rim of the canyon. Although the tunnel itself is not visible, the diversion dam can be seen from the campground.<ref>{{cite web |title = Gunnison Tunnel - Bureau of Reclamation Historic Dams and Water Projects - Managing Water in the West |publisher = National Park Service |url = http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/ReclamationDamsAndWaterProjects/Gunnison_Tunnel.html |accessdate = 2014-07-29}}</ref> === Creation of the park === [[File:Tps_-_Gunnison_HQ.jpg|thumb|right|Park Headquarters, South Rim]] The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was established as a [[National Monument (United States)|national monument]] on March 2, 1933, and was redesignated a [[national park]] on October 21, 1999.<ref>{{cite web | title = Cornell University Law School - US Code Collection | publisher = US Congress | url = https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/410fff-2 | accessdate = 2007-07-29 }}</ref> During 1933-35, the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] built the [[North Rim Road, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park|North Rim Road]] to design by the [[National Park Service]]. This includes fives miles of roadway and five overlooks; it is listed on the U.S.[[National Register of Historic Places]] as a historic district.<ref name=nrhpdoc_northrimroad>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=05001181}} |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: North Rim Road, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park / North Rim Road Historic District/ 5MN.3522 |author=Janene Caywood |year=2005 |publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NRHP url|id=05001181|title=accompanying photos|photos=y}}</ref> == Biology == [[File:Great horned owl chick 3w.jpg|thumb|left|Great horned owl chicks nesting in the Rocky Mountains]] [[File:Treebc.JPG|thumb|right|Juniper tree near the top of the canyon]] The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park contains a wide variety of flora and fauna. Some common plants native to the park include [[aspen]], [[Ponderosa pine]], [[sagebrush]], desert [[mahogany]] (''[[Cercocarpus]] ledifolius''), [[Utah juniper]], [[gambel oak]] (''scrub oak'') and [[Fraxinus anomala|single-leaf ash]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park : Plants | publisher = National Park Service | url = http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/plants.htm | accessdate = 2007-07-29 }}</ref> The [[Aliciella penstemonoides|Black Canyon gilia]] (''Aliciella penstemonoides'') is a species of wildflower native to the park.<ref name=beatty>Beatty, B.L., W.F. Jennings, and R.C. Rawlinson (2004, February 9). [http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/giliapenstemonoides.pdf ''Gilia penstemonoides'' M.E. Jones (Black Canyon gilia): a technical conservation assessment.] [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region.</ref> Wildlife in this park include the [[pronghorn]], [[American black bear|black bear]], [[Mearns coyote|coyote]], [[muskrat]], six species of [[lizard]], [[North American cougar|cougar]], [[raccoon]], [[North American beaver|beaver]], [[elk]], [[North American river otter|river otter]], [[bobcat]], and [[mule deer]]. In addition, the canyon is the home of a number of resident birds including the [[American dipper]], two species of [[eagle]], eight species of [[hawk]], six species of [[owl]], and [[Steller's jay]] as well as migratory birds such as the [[mountain bluebird]], [[peregrine falcon]], [[magpie]], [[white-throated swift]] and [[canyon wren]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park : Animals | publisher = National Park Service | url = http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/animals.htm | accessdate = 2007-07-29 }}</ref> == Attractions == An annual average of about 190,000 tourists visited the park in the period from 2007 to 2016.<ref name="visits"/> The main attraction of the park is the scenic drive along US Highway 50 and Colorado Highway 92, as well as the south rim. The east end of the park, where it meets Blue Mesa Reservoir at Blue Mesa Point, is the area most developed for camping. It includes tent camping and RV camping with full hookups (private site), as well as canyon tours, hiking, fishing and boat tours. Nearby is the [[Curecanti National Recreation Area]] which includes a visitor center, marina facilities and, among 10 campgrounds within in the NRA, the Lake Fork Campground. The west end of the park has river access by automobile, as well as guided tours of the canyon. A short hike at Blue Mesa Point Information Center heads down to Pine Creek and the Morrow Point boat tours, boating, fishing and hiking. At the south rim there is one [[campground]] for tent and RV camping, one loop of which has electrical hookups, and several [[hiking]] and nature trails. The north rim is also accessible by automobile and has a small, primitive campground. Automobiles can access the river via the East Portal Road at the south rim; this road has a 16% grade and is prohibited to vehicles over {{convert|22|ft|m|0}} in length. [[File:Tps_-_Gunnison_Point.jpg|thumb|left|Gunnison Point Trail, South Rim]] The river can also be accessed by steep, unmaintained trails called "routes" or "draws" on the north and south rim. These routes require about two hours to hike down and two to four hours to hike back up, depending on which route is taken. All inner canyon descents are strenuous and require Class 3 climbing and basic route finding skills. Steep talus, impassable ledges, and lack of cover are some of the challenges hikers are faced with. Poison ivy also grows abundantly in the draws and on the canyon floor. Long sleeves and hiking boots are strongly recommended. The flow rate of the Gunnison River should also be considered for those planning on camping in the canyon, as high river levels can wash out the camp sites. The National Park Service warns the following: "Routes are difficult to follow, and only individuals in excellent physical condition should attempt these hikes&nbsp;... Hikers are expected to find their own way and to be prepared for self-rescue."<ref>{{cite web | title = Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park : Hiking the Inner Canyon |publisher = National Park Service |url = http://www.nps.gov/blca/planyourvisit/hikinginnercanyon.htm |accessdate = 2014-07-29}}</ref> A free back country permit is required for all inner canyon use except at the west end. The Gunnison River is designated as a Gold Medal Water from 200 yards downstream of Crystal Reservoir Dam to the North Fork. This includes the 12 miles within the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Only artificial flies and lures are permitted, and all rainbow trout are catch and release. Additionally, fishing is prohibited within 200 yards downstream of Crystal Dam.<ref>{{cite news |last= Bulger |first= Amy |date= 2014 |title= Colorado Parks & Wildlife - 2014 Colorado Fishing |publisher= Colorado Parks and Wildlife |page= 21 }}</ref> [[File:Tps_-_East_portal.jpg|thumb|right|Gunnison River at East Portal]] The Black Canyon is a center for [[rock climbing]] in a style known as [[traditional climbing]]. Most of the climbs are difficult and attempted only by advanced climbers.<ref>{{cite web | title = Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park : Rock Climbing | publisher = National Park Service | url = http://www.nps.gov/blca/planyourvisit/rockclimbing.htm | accessdate = 2007-07-29 }}</ref> Rafting opportunities exist in the region, but the run through the park itself is a difficult technical run for only the best kayakers. There are several impassable stretches of water requiring long, sometimes dangerous portages. The remaining rapids are class III - V, and are only for expert river runners.<ref>{{cite web | title = Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park : Kayaking | publisher = National Park Service | url = http://www.nps.gov/blca/planyourvisit/kayaking.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-30 }}</ref> Downstream, in the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, the river is somewhat easier to navigate, though still very remote and only for experienced runners, with rapids that are Class III - IV.<ref>{{cite web | title = Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park : Rafting | publisher = National Park Service | url = http://www.nps.gov/blca/planyourvisit/rafting.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area | publisher = Bureau of Land Management - Colorado | url = http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ggnca.html | accessdate = 2008-03-30 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080325040420/http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ggnca.html |archivedate = March 25, 2008}}</ref> == In music == The canyon inspired a symphonic composition by [[Frank William Erickson|Frank Erickson (1923—1996)]], ''Black Canyon of the Gunnison''.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_g2HOT6iug Frank Erickson ''Black Canyon of the Gunnison''] De Pauw University Band</ref> In 2017, [[The Infamous Stringdusters]] released a song about the trip undertaken by Fellows and Torrence, "1901: A Canyon Odyssey".<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncqZjGXC-AA</ref><ref>https://genius.com/The-infamous-stringdusters-1901-a-canyon-odyssey-lyrics</ref> == See also == *[[List of birds of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park]] *[[List of national parks of the United States]] == References == {{reflist|25em}} == External links == {{sister project links|commons category=Black Canyon of the Gunnison|voy=Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park|wikt=no|b=no|n=no|q=no|s=no|v=no}} * [https://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park] – [[National Park Service]] * [http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/chi-000917ournatparks-colo-story.html ''A slash in the mesa''] – [[Chicago Tribune]] article * [http://www.windrep.org/Black_Canyon_of_the_Gunnison ''Black Canyon of the Gunnison''] – symphonic poem by Frank Erickson (1923–1996) which has been performed on the rim of the canyon * ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcOK68lwPjI 1901: A Canyon Odyssey''] – song by [[The Infamous Stringdusters]] {{National parks of the United States}} {{Colorado}} {{Protected Areas of Colorado}} {{good article}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park}} [[Category:National parks in Colorado]] [[Category:National parks of the Rocky Mountains]] [[Category:Canyons and gorges of Colorado]] [[Category:Gunnison River]] [[Category:Colorado Western Slope]] [[Category:Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad]] [[Category:Protected areas of Montrose County, Colorado]] [[Category:Protected areas of Gunnison County, Colorado]] [[Category:Landforms of Montrose County, Colorado]] [[Category:Landforms of Gunnison County, Colorado]] [[Category:Protected areas established in 1933]] [[Category:1933 establishments in Colorado]]'