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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado gets a 3-paw park rating

A long name for a park with a very deep canyon, over 2700 feet deep. The park earns 3 paws because all its overlooks and 3 of its trails are pet friendly.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is in central western Colorado just 15 miles east of Montrose. The canyon can be accessed from both north and south rims. However, North Rim Road via Highway 92, is unpaved and closed during the winter. South Rim Road off of Highway 347 is only open as far as the visitor center in winter. Driving from between the north and south rims can take 2.5-3 hours.

Hiking

All of the hikes available for pets are short and easily navigated by Great Danes. Remember though, the canyon rim is at 8000 feet and altitude sickness can affect dogs as well as people.

There are two pet friendly trails on the south rim with some seasonal restrictions.

• Rim Rock Nature Trail is a moderately difficult, 1 mile round trip, self-guided, nature trail. It offers many views of the Gunnison River and sheer canyon walls. Due to aggressive deer protecting their fawns, this trail is closed to dogs from June 1st- August 15th.
• Cedar Point Nature Trail is an easy 0.67 mile round trip. This trail offers views of the tallest cliff in Colorado, the Painted Wall and rock islands at the bottom of the canyon.

The other two trails on the south rim are not pet friendly but the nine overlooks are.

The north rim as three trails one of which is pet friendly. and 5 overlooks.

• Chasm View Nature Trail is a short, 0.3 mile round trip, The trail has 2 overlooks one of which has views of Serpent Point and  the Painted Wall

Camping

Three campgrounds are in the park but only one is open during the winter. All the campgrounds have bear boxes.

• South Rim Campground: 88 total sites, 23 are electric and are available mid-May to mid-September. Water is not available during the cold months. Similarly to the Rim Rock Trail, dogs are not allowed to walk in the campground from June to mid-August due to aggressive deer.
• North Rim Campground: A remote camp with 13 sites. It is closed in winter.
• East Portal Campground: This is a tent only camp with 15 spots in the Curecanti National Recreation Area. East Portal road is limited to vehicles less than 22 feet long since it has sharp curves and a 16% grade. It is also closed in winter.

While the pet areas are limited, the park is worth a visit for some incredible views.

Up to date pet information and other alerts can be found on the park’s website.