Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Gunnison's Black Canyon is a national park in the United States, which is also one of the parks of the Rocky Mountains. The 124 km2 park is divided by the Gunnison River into two parts, and due to the lack of bridges, there are 2 entrances to the park - in the north and south.
The park contains the Gunnison Canyon, which is 77 km long, but only 18 kilometers are located in the park. In 1933, the area was first declared a national monument, then a park in 1999.
The valley of the Gunnison River has long been inhabited by the Utah Indians, but the Spaniards were the first Europeans to visit here in the 18th century. But John Gunnison gave a detailed account of the area when his group visited these places in 1853. John explored the area to lay the railroad. On September 7, the group entered the canyon, and Gunnison inspected the canyon several times, suggesting that a railroad be built here. But the expedition never made it through the canyon, so they decided to turn south, where almost all of them were slaughtered.
The park's territory is spread over the Colorado Plateau in 4 natural zones. Vegetation is represented by small groups of juniper of 6 varieties, oaks and Colorado pine. In places where there is little light, fir usually grows. At the bottom of the canyon, you can see maples, bird cherry trees, poplars, and water meadows.
66 species of animals have been recorded in Gunnison's Black Canyon Park, among which black-tailed deer, cougars, black bears, coyotes, and wapiti are common. The ornithofauna of the park is no less rich, numbering 176 representatives of birds. There are about 15 species of fish in the rivers.
The park is very popular with tourists, with almost 250,000 visitors a year. Gunnison's Black Canyon Park can only be accessed through the southern and northern entrances, there is an information center in the southern part, and a road along the canyon with observation decks has also been built there. Travelers to these parts are attracted by incredibly beautiful nature. For the convenience of tourists, 3 campsites have been established. Among the active recreation activities in the park, you can go mountain climbing, rafting on the river or fishing.
