North Rim Ranger Station ~ Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park

The Back Canyon North Rim can be viewed along Colorado Highway 92 in the Curecanti National Recreation Area, but there will still be many more miles to go before arriving at the National Park entrance on this side of the big canyon. Relatively few mainstream tourists stray from the paved roads in the south side of Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, simply because the lengthy trip from Highway 50 to the North Rim Access near Crawford is guaranteed to be an all day affair. The scenic overlooks in Curecanti can take several hours to experience and there will be plenty of wildlife to spot in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. In fact, the agricultural areas near Crawford are a prime area for viewing deer and elk, so as can be imagined, it is best to set aside several hours for the 88 mile drive to the Black Canyon North Rim.

With so much time involved with getting there, camping at the North Rim Of Black Canyon is a good option. This end of the park is rarely overcrowded, except for busy summer season weekends. The North Rim Ranger Station is the spot to look for, which is located next to the main campground. The North Rim Ranger Station is not always staffed, but there is a self serve box for fees. Hiking, climbing and backcountry excursion permits are also available at this Ranger Station, because there are so many places where the depths of Black Canyon can be accessed in this area.

​The North Rim Ranger Station is also a Black Canyon information resource center, so it is worth checking out upon arrival. Even when the facility is not staffed, there is always tons of information posted concerning every aspect of this end of the park. The North Rim Of Black Canyon truly is an adventure of its own, so pack up the gear, enjoy the long scenic drive and plan on sticking around for a while!   
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