Black Canyon Road in Colorado Poster

A road curves toward the West Elk Mountain peaks, part of the Rocky Mountains, from the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River in Colorado. The canyon's name owes itself to the fact that parts of the gorge only receive 33 minutes of sunlight a day. The Gunnison River drops an average of 34 feet per mile (6.4 m/km) through the entire canyon, making it the 5th steepest mountain descent in North America. By comparison, the Colorado River drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile (1.42 m/km) through the Grand Canyon. The greatest descent of the Gunnison River occurs within the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park at Chasm View dropping 240 feet per mile (45 m/km). At its narrowest point the canyon is only 40 ft (12 m) wide at the river.