south rim road

We spent an afternoon taking a closer look at the Black Canyon, driving first this road, then Blue Mesa. Such gorgeous views of the hills and the aspen groves turning color, we kept stopping to take pictures. I especially loved the turnouts and viewpoints, and getting as close to the edge as possible, to look into the canyon. It's definitely a unique place; the colors of the rock are unlike other deep canyons I've visited.

The steep, shear cliffs of the Black Canyon are amazing and dramatic. The canyon is very deep and Gunnison River below seems to be at the center of the earth. Haven't made it to the North Rim (it's less accessible), but the south is really cool. Lots of scenic turnouts and trails to take. This place also has spectacular sunsets!

Went this past week, great fall colors. Small but nice visitor center with short overlook path behind it. The canyon views are very accessible, short walks from most of the stops along the drive. Also took the East Portal road drive into the canyon which was fun as well.

We had actually gotten on the North Rim but found out that it was unpaved. We were on a rental 2 WD car so decided against going further on that. My husband and I were debating if we should take another 1-1.5 hours to drive to South rim or just skip it. We were staying the night in Montrose and had nothing else to do so decided to go ahead with it. It was quite sunny and hot that day, and extremely dry. However the canyon views were spectacular. There color is really black / grey. They don't really resemble the Grand canyons and we read that they were actually made differently too. Saw a group who was rock climbing! That was really impressive. Towards 5 in evening, the temperature got better. We pulled over at all stops. Didn't have the time / energy to attempt the trails in the hot weather. But I'm sure they must have been great too.

This is extremely interesting yo see it is very much like the Grand Canyon only smaller so you get to see the rocks more clearly and the other side is clear and not just an image. It is a long road thru the country to get there but well worth the trip

Various look-offs and short trails enable you to see various aspects of the canyon. Not crowded, and you can move at a leisurely pace.

After wanting to visit both rims of the canyon but finding ourselves short on time, we settled on the South Rim Road and feel this was a wise decision. There are 11 overlooks here, compared to six on the north rim. We were able to get a good feel for the north rim as well as we could see the nearly vertical drop of that side. All the views from the south side were simply gorgeous! As we walked one trail we encountered two male Mule Deer just off the path. They seemed concerned about us so we backed away to give them plenty of room, and they obliged us by giving us great photo ops. Bird life was also pleasing here, including our first Clark's Nutcracker. Our visit here was time well spent.

great place to rock hound and hike to the overlooks. try and not get a bit nervous hanging over the guard rails here.. lol.

Being able to look straight down! The wildlife scurrying around. The coolness even in July. The blue green river flowing below.

The views are beautiful and you can stand at the overlooks within the safety of strong fences (a necessity if one is afraid of heights). The views remind me of the Yellowstone canyon.

The South Rim Drive affords wonderful views of the canyon from the many scenic overlooks. If you are anywhere near this part of Colorado it is a must-see. It's surprising how little known this park is, yet the views rival those in the Grand Canyon and it is much less crowded. The video at the Visitor Center gives some interesting background history of the daring (?foolhardy) exploits of the visionaries who planned the railroad and the irrigation tunnel.

The scenic overlooks on the South Rim Drive offer excellent opportunities for photographers. I've heard the North Rim is also good, but it was closed when I was there because of poor winter road conditions.I published some photo tips for the Black Canyon that you may find helpful, http://blog.christiechaney.com/2013/09/03/photo-guide-black-canyon-of-the-gunnison/.

This is a very well maintained road. The driving was easy with many stops to look over the canyon. If you want a picnic some of the overlooks have tables.I advise you to look for shady spots. There were many great photo opportunities along the drive.

The views heading up on the left fork are spectacular , but the thrill of 16% grade on the right fork will stick with me for a lifetime. Make sure you wait for a clear, dry sunny day before doing this park. Overcast and wet would not do it justice. Bring a camera and maybe a picnic lunch.

If you are going to be in this portion of Colorado, make sure and take in Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Beautiful area, and the drive on the South Rim has many places you can stop, walk to vistas and take great photos. If you want the best photos, remember the best light is early in the morning or later in the day. This is my second visit to Black Canyon and it's just as beautiful and striking as the first time I saw it.