Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: South Rim

Drive Length: 7 miles
Number of Overlooks: 12

Close up of the Indian-like petroglyph on the Painted Wall

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is one of those must sees in Colorado. The visit will not burn many calories but the views will remind you of just how insignificant the human life span is. The fast flowing Gunnison River has, over the span of 2 million years, gouged out a watercourse that is, at its’ deepest, 2,772 feet deep. Standing at the edge of the chasm is a life affirming experience. Life affirming that is if you grip the handrail until your knuckles turn white. Just looking down made me weak in the knees. Glancing across to the other side resulted in a tingling behind the sternum that surely heralded a heart attack.

The South Rim is different from the North, which I shall describe in a separate post. If you only have one day to spend, go for the North Rim. The views are far more spectacular and the drive is amazing in itself. The river views from the south rim are limited and the number of stops far more numerous. There are several lookouts that require a 700-yard walk, which is a blessing after sitting in the car for so long.

For those of you who have not visited the area since it became a National Nark, you will notice a lot of changes. There is a new visitor’s center, plentiful bathrooms, and heavy wood barriers on all but one of the lookouts. While you may wish to argue that the area should have remained a National Monument, you cannot argue with the jaw dropping wonderment you receive when coming face to face with the unyielding power of water and time. If only we could take such simple wisdom into our personal lives. It really only takes persistence to erode the most formidable obstacle. Of course, having a few million years doesn’t hurt either.

On this trip, the Gunnison River was flowing at over 7,000 cubic feet per minute. Looking down into the gorge with a telephoto lens I could see the chaotic confluence of rock, wood, and foam. The flow rate is magnified by the angle of decent, which is 96 feet per mile. As dramatic as this rate sounds, the flow through the canyon is significantly reduced from its heyday before the upstream damns regulated its flow.

Close up of the river bottom

Allow yourself 3-4 hours to get into the park from Hwy 347 and to see the South Rim, longer if, like I, you forget your camera battery and have to drive all the way back to Montrose to get it!
There is no easy way to get from the south rim to the north rim, so plan on another day to see and explore that side. There are short 1-2 mile hiking trails in the park, but since we had dragged our dogs along, we limited our activities to the overlooks themselves. I talked to a fellow tourist from Longmont Colorado who said that the view from the end of the Warner Point trail was worth the effort.

It is hard to say what is the best time of year to visit the park. Summer can be ghastly hot, winter can be windy and cold, and spring can be unpredictable. This trip was made over Memorial Day weekend, and we were cold the first day and warm the next. That’s Colorado weather for you. On a side note, we stayed in Montrose, which has some decent hotels, but very little in the way of decent food. Bring a cooler full of deli selections, and you will be happier by far.

Dillon Pinnacles

Trail Length: 4 miles RT
Elevation: 7,400 to 7,847 ft
Elevation gain: 447 ft


The Dillon Pinnacles are one of those geologic wonders of Colorado. They are located along Blue Mesa Reservoir between Montrose and Gunnison. For minimal effort, you can get up close to the formations.

Coming from Montrose, the trailhead is located just past the bridge that crosses over the reservoir. The trail follows along the water, or what used to be water, for 0.75 miles before heading up a gully filled with juniper, sage, rocks, and a small creek. After 0.25 miles it reaches an intersection. Take the left fork and continue to ascend upwards to a small hillock that looks down the length of the formation. A worn wooden bench is available if the cumulative distance to this point is overly fatiguing! You can see the trail in the distance along the formation. Do continue. The views are very pleasant, and the destination, another bench on a wind-blown mesa, provides 50-yard line views of the formation and alternatively, views of the San Juan Mountains to the south. Elk and deer are very prevalent along the trail from October through April. Their scat practically covered the trail and seemed more abundant than the rocks themselves.

Sage and pine on the Dillion Pinnacles trail

The Dillon Pinnacles are made of eroded West Elk Breccia, a composite rock spewed from the volcanic West Elk Mountains 30 million years ago.

From a distance, the West Elks, with their central Needle Rock, look like the remains of a climate changing explosive event but are in fact the remains of an entire field of Stratovolcanoes. Stratovolcanoes are versatile eruptors and are easily recognized by their dramatic cone shape. At one time or another, the volcanoes in the West Elks probably erupted with explosive force like Mt. Rainer, or sent plumes of ash into the stratosphere. The West Elk Breccia is composed of rock and ash that fell from at least one explosive eruption that resulted in over 600 ft of ash and rock accumulation. You can see the West Elks from the south rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison or even more dramatically from Hwy 92 heading toward the north rim of the park.

West Elk Mountains

It is possible to get close to Needle Rock, which is located in the town of Crawford. Up close, it looses some of its majesty. It is far more impressive when viewed as part of a circle of volcanic remnants.

I have seen the Dillon Pinnacles many times from the overlook on Hwy 50 but this was my first opportunity to see them up close. As with most things in Colorado, they gain perspective and elegance the farther you get from the car. The Dillon Pinnacles are no different. It is worth the short hike to see these remarkable formations up close. A final note of trivia, Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest body of water in Colorado. I have seen it covered in snow, dappled with sunlit elegance, and radiantly blue. It seems to have as many expressions as Colorado herself.

Blue Mesa Reservoir (trailhead parking area)

Crosier Mountain Hike

Distance: 7.5 miles round trip
Elevation: 7,044 ft - 9,204 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,280 ft
Date Hiked: 11 May, 2008
Dogs: Off leash (Forest Service)

The view of the Continental Divide from the summit of Crosier Mountain

Crosier Mountain is a lesser-known, lower mountain to the northeast of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park that is perfect for a shoulder season outing. It has significant elevation gain, glorious views of Longs Peak, Mt. Meeker, Estes Park, and the Mummy Range. There are at least three different trails that approach the mountain, each offering different features. I have done two of the three and of those two, I prefer the one that will be described in this post. It just has more expansive views.

The lower part of the trail travels through an open Ponderosa Pine forest

You can get to any of the trailheads via Loveland and Hwy 34 or via Estes Park and Devil’s Gulch Road. Since I had never driven Hwy 34, we decided to take that route. The canyon walls east of Drake are very pretty and worth the drive. From Hwy 34, you can access one of the first trailheads right after turning onto Devil’s Gulch road. A colleague of mine usually takes this route and indicated it is longer, at least 10 miles, and wanders through many open meadows. Around 6 miles from the turn off is another trailhead that is well marked. A large dirt parking lot can hold many cars. There is a trail map and gate to the left of parking lot. The other trailhead is in the town of Glen Haven itself. The trail starts on the left just beyond the stables when heading towards Estes Park. The Glen Haven trail goes through a very large meadow and comes back around the mountain. The other trailhead approaches the mountain from the south and intersects the Glen Haven trail at the 2-mile interval, so the trails only differ for the first half of the route.

(On the left: An example of the rocky trail). The early part of the second trail ascends quickly up a slope with nice views of the rocky cliffs to the north of Hwy 34. After a half mile or so, there is a nice view down the canyon itself and out onto the plains. The trail is covered in loose quartz rock that has eroded out of the hillside. Ankle high boots are advised for anyone with weak ankles.

At 1.8 miles, there is large aspen grove with very large old growth trees. It would be very pretty in the fall. The trail in this area is very sunken and in places the ground was above the level of my knees. This trench was also narrow, which made walking difficult. It is just past this area that the trail intersects with the Glen Haven route. The spot is well marked with a trail sign and a very large log suitable for resting.

(On the right: An example of an open meadow) From this point the trail begins a steady accent through stunted Ponderosa pine. I am a true Coloradoan and I don’t like staying in trees for very long without vistas, so I found an iPod with music to be helpful on this stretch.

The final pitch to the summit is also well marked. It is here that the third trail intersects. Parts of the summit pitch are very steep and the trail is very eroded in places. The trees thin as you ascend though, offering nice views of the foothills to the east. There are also several interesting rock formations. The summit is very broad allowing for significant exploration. There is a nice cut in the rock that allows for direct views of Estes Park without climbing the small rock pile on the right.

Crosier Mountain is not my favorite hike simply because it is a bit too monotonous for me but during the spring it is a nice alternative to the trails around Boulder. We can take the dogs and let them run their paws off. The trail is multi-use and you will occasionally run into horses and mountain bikers but in our half-day outing, we only ran into 3 other groups.

The trail opens up nicely on the summit approach

Saints John and Wild Irishman Mine Snowshoe

Distance 5.6 miles RT
Elevation: 10,302 ft (Montezuma) to 10, 763 ft (Saints John) to 11, 702 ft (Wild Irishman Mine), to 12,000ft (Ridge above the mine)
Elevation Gain: 1698 ft
Critters: Oliver the cat


Saints John, out of Montezuma, is one of our favorite snowshoes. When the weather is clear, the views are spectacular and the elevation gain makes all those mid-week workouts worthwhile. This year was without a doubt our best experience. There was not a cloud in the sky, we barely saw two other people on the route, and the snow was Colorado powder perfect.

First, I’ll make a quick disclaimer about the distances and elevation gain described in this post. It seems like every book, blog, or reference quotes a different distance and elevation for this trail. To make matters worse there is a sign at the town of Saints John itself that says 11,000 ft, which probably refers to the mine itself higher up the ridge to the right.


The route to the Wild Irishman Mine begins on a forest road that is wide and covered in trees. It switch backs a couple of time before suddenly breaking out into the town of Saints John after only 1.3 miles. By the way, Saints John is not a typo. The town is named for both St. John the Evangelist and St. John the Baptist, which is most unfortunate because I have yet to meet anyone who can pronounce it very well. For history trivia buffs, you be pleased to note that Saints John was the site of the first silver strike in Colorado.

Beyond the town, the trail winds through the trees before reaching a wide valley. There are several avalanche chutes along the steep sides. A recent avalanche on our right had left car-sized chunks of snow sitting surreally next to pine trees. It is worth turning around periodically as one ascends this area for stellar views of Grays and Torreys. At the top, the route turns to the left and becomes significantly steeper. There is one pitch that is very steep. Snowmobiles are allowed on this trail and I have seen them zoom off this pitch, totally blind to anyone ascending from below. It is wise to use caution here and ascend as quickly as possible.

Another sharp turn to the left and a short jaunt through the trees lead to another open meadow. At the far end, flush against Glacier Mountain sits the ruins of the Wild Irishman Mine, complete with private outhouse.

To the right of the ruins is another sharp ridge that ascends another 300 ft or so (we did not have a GPS). The journey to the top of this ridge is well worth the trip. From its summit, a huge bowl opens up in the distance. At the far end is the most dramatic mountain pass I have ever seen. The expanse was only marred by a few snowmobile tracks. On this particular day the weather was practically short-sleeved warm and the 360-degree views of mountain peaks seemed to go on and on forever. These include 12,585 ft Bear Mountain to the northwest across the valley, 12,053 ft Tiptop Peak on the down valley view, followed by 12, 792 ft Cooper Mountain and 14ers Grays and Torreys. We did not want to descend, and it was only fear of the mind numbing skier traffic on I-70 that made us leave this little piece of Colorado heaven.

On the return trip we were met with Saints John most friendly resident, Oliver the cat. He came out to sit with us while we admired the view, and although he had to traverse a fifty-yard swath of snow to find us, he quickly jumped from pack to leg to pack again with casual feline dexterity. By this point we were not nearly as limber as we dragged ourselves to our feet again in order to slug through the last 1.3 miles back to the car.

You might just experience your own religious conversion on the Saints John trail but it won’t be to Christianity. Instead you may find yourself worshiping glorious sunshine, clear mountain air, breathtaking views, and the realization that such wonders of nature are everywhere you turn in this, our Colorado.