Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Montrose, CO

Black Canyon may be one of the unknown National Parks, but it does not disappoint when it comes to the views and taking your breath away. I cannot count the number of times we walked up to the edge and had my stomach jump due to the sheer drop off from the top of the canyon to the bottom 2,000 feet below. The Gunnison river runs through the canyon and carves the rock at the rate of 1cm every 100 years. That is 4 inches per 1,000 years... The river drops 34 feet per mile making it one of the steepest rivers in the country. The end result after millions of years is a canyon steep and deep that will make your hands sweat as you stand at the rail of the overlooks. The pictures do not do it justice. See it in person to truly appreciate the magnitude of the canyon. The North rim is by far the better views if you have the time to drive to that side of the canyon. We would highly recommend putting this National Park on your list as it is truly amazing.