These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
The North Rim is the quieter, more rugged, and primitive side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It has limited services and unpaved roads, yet still has the same or even more spectacular views of the canyon than the South Rim. To access all the viewpoints and trails on the North Rim, you can take the only road, the North Rim Scenic Road. In this blog, we will show you how to visit the North Rim side of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and all the cool stops along the North Rim Scenic Road.
There is a fee to enter the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. You can pay at the self-pay station at the ranger station or use your American the Beautiful Pass.
Pet are allowed on the walk to the overlooks along the North Rim Scenic Road and the Chasm View Nature Trail ONLY. They have to be on a leash, a maximum of 6ft in length. They are NOT allowed in any other areas of the park. Please DO NOT leave your pet unattended in a vehicle or campsite.
The North Rim scenic road takes about 2-3 hours. However, it can take longer if you decide to go for a hike.
There are 6 overlooks and a couple of hikes located along the North Rim Scenic Road in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We’ll list them in the order that you drive in from the ranger station.
The trailhead for this trail starts at the Ranger Station, which is also our first stop. We recommend doing this trail if you have time. It is an easy 3-mile round-trip hike that takes you to some of the most beautiful viewpoints of the canyon. It does get very warm in the summer so get an early start if you can. There are minimal shades here. If you’re ambitious, you can actually extend this hike to a longer adventure to Green Mountain. It is an additional 3 miles and a lot more elevation gain.
Chasm View Nature Trail is our next stop. This short 0.33-mile trail is located next to the North Rim Campground. Chasm View Nature Trail gives you impressive views of the Painted Wall. At 2,250ft, Painted Wall is the tallest vertical cliff in Colorado. To compare the scale, if New York’s Empire State Building stood on this canyon floor, it would only reach a bit more than halfway to the top of the cliff. Isn’t that crazy?
After the Chasm View, we’re backtracking along North Rim Scenic Road past the Ranger Station to The Narrows Overlook. This overlook offers dramatic views of the narrowest points of the Black Canyon. The main viewing area has railings along the edge. Even with the railing, the views are pretty awesome. If you walk a bit further, you can have an unobstructed view of the canyon without the railing.
This is a quick stop right off the road. It is a short walk to a viewing area where you can see a large, perilously balancing high above the Gunnison River. Because of its angle, it’s kind of hard to see. So, it is our least favorite overlook along the North Rim Scenic Road in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Big Island is another quick stop right off the North Rim Scenic Road, with not a lot of walking. Here, you’ll get similar views to The Narrows. It’s beautiful, but it’s also alright if you want to skip this one.
Out of all the overlooks on the North Rim Scenic Road, this one is our favorite. It is a short loop to the canyon rim. The view from this over look is quite different from the other spots that we’ve seen. The jagged rock walls protruding from the bottom of the gorge remind us of the floating islands in Avatar, but not as green. You also have different views of the Black Canyon depending on which way you look.
This is our last overlook on the North Rim Scenic Road. This is another view point where you can just hopped off your car and see it. If you look left at the right angle, you can see a rock shaped like a kneeling camel.
Just past the Kneeling Camel viewpoint, there is the trailhead for the Deadhorse trail. It is about 5 miles round trip and is rated moderate. This trail isn’t the most exciting so you can skip it if you want. The North Rim Scenic Road ends at the round-about pass the Kneeling Camel.
Since you’re close to Ouray, don’t forget to stop by the Box Canyon Falls. It’s a beautiful waterfall tucked in the middle of the canyon. If you’re up for a challenge, try out the free Ouray Via Ferrata or Gold Mountain Via Ferrata! It’s not for everyone but it is super fun!
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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