## Overview

 A camping trip to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park makes for a beautiful getaway for sightseeing, stargazing, and hiking. The park protects the most dramatic section of the Gunnison River Canyon; no other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths of Black Canyon.
## Recreation

 Take one of many spectacular [hiking trails][1] such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for [birds][2] like the black-billed magpie. In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.\_\_\_\_\_\_ [Winter activities][3] include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter). 
## Facilities

 Campsites are open year round, but drinking water is only available mid-May through mid-October. Electric hookups are in Loop B and available year around. 
## Natural Features

 Perched on the South Rim of the Black Canyon, this campground is surrounded by scrub oak forests and sits atop ancient hard rocks. Deer, grouse, bears, and bobcats are known to frequent the area. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Visit the [Cimarron Canyon Rail Exhibit][4] to see railcars and the last remaining railroad trestle on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route. Head upstream to Curecanti National Recreation Area to enjoy water recreation on Colorado\'s largest reservoir. 

[1]: https://www.nps.gov/blca/planyourvisit/hikingtrails.htm
[2]: https://www.nps.gov/blca/learn/nature/birds.htm
[3]: https://www.nps.gov/blca/planyourvisit/winteractivities.htm
[4]: https://www.nps.gov/blca/learn/historyculture/cimcanyonexhibit.htm

South Rim Campground — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

We stayed on night at the Black Canyon South Rim campground.  The check in was self serve as we arrived in the early evening.  We were able to find one of the last available sites.  The campground has good facilities but its very compact and crowded.   Many of the sites are uneven and too small to park a van.  The tent sites are more than adequate and provide adequate space, fire rings, and picnic tables, and bathrooms.  They have excellent education programs and rangers to assist with questions.  The canyon is amazing and worth seeing.  You can travel along the south rim and view the canyon.  The visitors center is outstanding with helpful staff and some of the better canyon views.  Worth the visit if you are in South Central Colorado.  

Small Crowded Campgrounds 

Loop A is the one that is reservable and not held for walk-ups.  Site 007A is awesome, one of a few with good shade.

Black Canyon Loop A

This place is  insane!  Very underrated National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, very underrated

Visited in Early June and it was Hot!!  Though we do live at 10,000 ft Beautiful views of the canyon, but more people than down in the East Portal.  This campground does accept reservations, which can be helpful for those who prefer to arrive later in the day!

Hot, But Beautiful

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is an incredible park - the history is incredible, but the views are awesome!  Truly majestic.  If you are tent camping, head on down to East Portal so you are right on the river, but if you are driving an RV.  This is the place you want to be.

Not a lot of amenities, but you can get your rig parked easily and enjoy the views.  One of the more incredible views you'll find in here.

You have to go here!

This campground has decent separation between sites but not much shade because the juniper trees are so short. The views at this park are incredible, however you won't see much from your campsite itself. It's tucked into thick juniper forest.  This place has lots of bear activity so be sure to bring a bear canister to supplement the provided bear boxes.  We saw a blonde haired black bear along one of the roads and were so happy that we were in our car.  There's a little self service kiosk for walk up sites. Vault toilets, picnic table, and a fire ring with open flame grill. Just be aware that to do anything on the north rim of the canyon it is a several hour drive. So your activities will likely be limited to the south rim. Would gladly return!

Amazing National Park, pleasant campsites

Our visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison was strongly affected by the fact that we visited it during the off-season (beginning of October) and the South Rim Campground was no exception. We were one of only a few campers here, making our stay quiet, cheap, and (a little) chilly. But overall, we would return to this campground in a heartbeat.

The South Rim Campground is similar to other national park campground in that it provides convenient access to park activities and trails, but it stands apart due to the fact that the camping fees are cut in half during the off-season, when the water is turned off.

This campground is spacious, with sites that are tucked away from others, and is located close to the visitor center and several prominent hiking trails. For such a cheap price (we paid $6/night), it is a great value. Even though the water is turned off during this time of year, the visitor center’s flush toilets were available to us during open hours, and their water was available 24 hours a day.

If you have a couple of days to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison, we’d recommend hiking (via the Gunnison route or another route) or driving down into the canyon one day (we had fun unsuccessfully fly fishing near the East Portal.) The hikes are very strenuous and steep, the being in the canyon offers such a different perspective of just how striking this national park is.

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: [Switchback Kids (Black Canyon of the Gunnison)](http://switchbackkids.com/black-canyon-gunnison/)

Basic NPS campground amenities, incredible value at Black Canyon of the Gunnison

I seek out high places - they clear my mind and scare me just a little bit. Took a one night trip from Denver to stay at South Rim campground last night. Just the right things to do - a busy visitor's center, where you can practice talking to people and get local answers instead of checking your phone (no service - great!) I wanted to go without it completely but couldn't help taking photos of all the amazing views from the short and numerous hikes along Rim Drive. I know they don't capture the magnitude of the whole experience but I couldn't help it. There are many daily ranger-led hikes and talks.

Spectacular lightning show that night which I enjoyed at stopping points along Rim Drive. An unexpected storm whipped up when I got back to my site, which included a bear vault, metal fire ring and grate. Shrub oak are everywhere. At one point a doe and her fawn came through my site. Also, adorable chipmunks are also always racing across the roads. This place is well marked as bear country so keep an eye out.

All the sites were booked but were well placed and the whole place didn't feel so crowded. My site was by the bathrooms, so more noisy than other sites, but convenient. The majority of the vault toilets are new and well maintained. Water is available but a sign noted how far away it came, so better to bring your own.

Solo 

There are approximately 90 sites, split among 3 loops: - A: reservations (through recreation.gov)

- B: reservations electric hookups

- C: no reservations  

Loops A and B have many more back in/pull in and pull through sites than loop C has.  See photos for sites. Most sites in loop C are roadside for the vehicle/RV with a few pull through and back in sites; the sites are spacious.

In June, all sites in A and B were booked. There was plenty of room in C early in the afternoon but it filled up by evening. A rainy Saturday led to a half full loop C that evening. Based on the activity every morning in loop C, it looks like most people spend only one night in that loop. The Reserved signs in loop A and B indicated people with reservations are more likely to stay a few nights.

If the campground fills up, there is dispersed camping just outside the park on the right (as you drive out). It looked like a area that could accommodate several campers without being on top of each other.

There is no water at the sites, but a potable water station is available. There are vault toilets in each loop...kinda smelly but that's what you get with a vault toilet!

Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and bear-proof lockers. Due to fire danger, no fires are currently (June, 2018) allowed in the fire ring. The lockers are necessary if you don't want to store food in your locked car or RV. Mule deer are more of an issue than bears; they come right through the sites so I wouldn't leave anything out..for bears or deer. If you have a dog, there are very few areas where they are allowed at this time.

No generators are allowed in the campground. It's real camping!

Rim RockTrail and Uplands Trail (two mile roundtrip for each) lead to the visitor center from the campground. From the visitor center, the Oak Flat Loop is a 2 mile hike with some great views and a 400 foot drop in elevation (followed by a climb back to the visitor center). This "black" canyon is unique in terms of color and the shape and sheer steepness of the rocks.

If you want an adventure, there is a trail to the Gunnison River off Oak Flat Loop. It's a mile to the river from that point with about a 1,400 foot drop in elevation. The trail is not well marked and more difficult to find your way back. You need to get a permit at the visitor center for this area (and other areas within the canyon).

If you drive the South Rim Drive, there are plenty of overlooks along with some short walks (1/4 to 3/4 mile roundtrip). When the road ends, the Warner Point Trail is a 1.5 mile roundtrip.

East Portal Road (right turn just after entering the park) takes you to the Gunnison Diversion Dam and Crystal Dam, where the road ends. This will get you to the river and bottom of the canyon. There is another campground called East Portal with 15 sites with tent pads; some sites are walkin. Vehicles longer than 22 feet are prohibited on East Portal Road.

No frills NPS campground with spacious sites, close to canyon views and 

South Rim campground is a perfect little nestled away camping area.  Small Oaks are everywhere and provide some isolation despite the campsites being close to one another.  Timing was everything at this campground.  We were told it fills up fast, especially in the weekends.  We went before May 8th, which started the online reservation system.  The first come first serve was perfect as we picked a nestled away campsite with a view (most of the campground does not have views of the surrounding mountains).  RegIstratIon Is completed by filling out an envelope at the front of the campground.  The ranger station wIll help If yoI don’t have cash.  It stayed nice and cool at 8,000ft elevation, however, the sun can still be intense here if your not from the Colorado area.  Some sites had tent pads, some didn’t. We were in loop B which provided electricity, a bench, and camping ring with grill (the grill moves up and down but cannot be moved out of the ring for normal fires).  There was a ton of wildlife in the campground to include deer and grouse!   Everyone was nice, but neighbors got into it because the one neighbor let there dog wonder everywhere. Rangers didn’t really patrol the area.  The bathrooms do not have running water, but we’re nice.  The water doesn’t get turned on until mid-May, make sure you bring plenty of water!  It’s a decent drive to the nearest fire wood and water station - I would bring whatever you need with you.  Black Canyon of the Gunnison is apart of the Dark Sky Assoc and you can see why - the stars are amazing!  Definitely worth the visit before the crowds.  

Timing Is Everything

Friendly camp host let us switch to a better/more secluded spot than the one we reserved. Ranger talk right across the street. Rim trail trailhead really close. Toilets so clean, "I would even poop in these!" was uttered. 

cleanest. park. ever. 

this place was great! I reserved it 3 months in advance, so am not sure if it filled up later on. I tent camped and there was plenty of room for my 2-person tent and enough room if I hadn’t been solo. The walk to get water was close as were the restrooms. It was my first time camping where I needed a bear box and the one provided was huge—I’d call it a bear locker. 😃 It was a quiet campsite and BCGNP is a dark sky park so the stars were amazing at night.

Easy in, easy out campsite with gigantic bear boxes and a starlit night sky

High (8,200) and deep—dramatic landscape carved by Gunnison River. Wonderful hiking trail along the rim and interesting plant community of the high plateau. Be prepared for any type of weather. We had a wild thunder, lightning and wind storm with violent downdrafts—typical for this country. Absence of light pollution means awesome night skies!

Altitude, hydrology, stargazing 

The campsites on the South Rim do take reservations, so I would recommend reserving ahead of time—especially during the summer. The campsites are well-maintained, private, easily accessible, and family friendly. The campers around were all respectful, which made for a great community of campers!

Glamper’s Dream

Heard of this place from a guy while getting gas. Decided to check it out. He said it was more beautiful than the Grand Canyon. A bold statement, we thought. I wouldn't say more, but it is beautiful. The black canyon walls really are stunning and very steep. The park was open to drive through. It takes about 2-3 hours to drive end to end. The ranger was about to close but saw we just wanted water for our bottles and he kept the center open for us. Very kind staff. The campground was open too but not for any services. Being in a self contained van, it was fine. Best of all, it wasn't the season opening yet so we were able to camp for free! Woke up to light snow just adding to the beauty.

Beautiful. Mini Grand Canyon

The drive up to the campground was beautiful and windy. The sites themselves are pretty secluded. Only pit toilets are available, but they are clean and there are nice paved sidewalks to them. The ranger talks and star viewing is amazing!

Magical 

This is right off the main road in the black canyon Gunnison park. Basic camping. Table and fire pit provided. The views along this road are amazing.

Basic camping spot with lots of walking trails and views

The campground sits at the top of a “Mesa” so you get beautiful 360° views. The canyon itself offers great hiking experiences and if you aren’t up for that you can drive throughout the top of the canyon and get some incredible views that way as well. The black wall is beautiful and the amount of wildlife in the camp was surprising due to the larger than average amount of people present. Highly recommend this site and would visit again.

Awesome views. Great facilities.

Overlooked Black Canyon NP is worth the trip.   Nice campsites, primitive facilities as expected.  Bring wood for the pit/bbq combo.  Only $16 per night was a bargain.  

Hidden Gem

Private spots, wildlife all around, great nature talk , beautiful view. No hookups. No generator use.

Amazing view!

Really great campground even without hookups!

Amazing views 

Kids enjoyed the wildlife and the space and quiet. Safe campgroind for sure. 32 is a pull through site.

Great park

We were passing through the area and decided to make a quick stop at Black Canyon of the Gunnison and are so glad we did! We enjoyed exploring the canyon and enjoying the many overlooks. We stayed at South Rim Campground and were really happy with it! It is a great location right in the park. We were able to work from our hot spot with our booster just fine as well. We didn’t have cell service though, fyi. We were in Site 2B (electric only) and it was a pull through (sorta– kinda just pull off on the side of the road) spot and there was a tent spot at the site too. There aren’t any stores near the park, so make sure to stock up before you get there!

Great location for exploring the park!

This is a nice, clean functional campground that is close to one of the most beautiful places on earth. Unfortunately you can’t see that place, since the sites are surrounded by trees and bushes. However, those trees and bushes provide some shade and privacy, and it’s a quick walk/drive to the canyon. Anywhere else it would be a three-star property. Nice overnight stopover. The $20 park entry was waived due to COVID. Most people wearing masks at viewpoints. 
We got a site no problem in Loop C, which is all first come, first serve, on a Friday night in July. There are picnic tables, fire rings and bear boxes in every site. Some sites in Loop C have tent clearings, and others have pull-ins that would work for a small RV. Only Loop B has electric.
No Verizon service in the campground, but we did discover a good signal at the very end of the South Rim road. 

Close to the beauty 

This was a lovely stay! My partner and I saw a few electric sites that people have reserved but no one showed up to but there was also plenty of first come first serve camping. There were some loud neighbors but it was still quite spacious for a national park campground. No trash, bathrooms pretty cleans, great easy hike with views of the canyon on the way to the visitor center. Totally recommend! Check the rules about dogs before going, it changes with deer fawning season

Great Stay, Got First Come First Serve Spot

Great campground. Fairly secluded, pretty quiet. Our spot had a short walk behind it to the bathroom.
Heads up that the only bear box we saw was near the bathroom and it had a padlock on it, so it could not be used. 

Site #19 Loop B

Absolutely beautiful!! If you can camp at the east portal, it's a must!!! 
Also hikers get to oakwood loop near visitor center, difficult and beautiful. 

STUNNING

Great place to camp, they only have electric for RV, no water or sewer hook ups due to altitude of 8200ft. Limited on RV sites need to call ahead. Great hiking trails around the south rim. No internet or cell service at all, but was able to pickup 9 air tv stations crazy.  Better for smaller campers say under 35ft, but I was able to my 40ft into a side road spot. Great place to see the stars at night, never seen them brighter..

Beautiful canyons

Very peaceful campground near spectacular black canyon. The B loop has electric hookups. When we were there, it was First Come First Served. We arrived in late Sept on a Sunday for one night, arriving around 2:30 pm. We found a site easily but in the hour after that there were no more sites in B Loop. Ranger was super nice and she shared interesting info about black canyon. Nice hike directly from the campground to many of the canyon lookouts and visitor center. Beautiful sunsets and evening light!

Peaceful, lovely campground

We camped here in January and found that there was no charge for camping there during the winter season. Came with our pup and had most of the campground to ourselves since there was just one other family camping there as well. The snow on the campsites was pretty deep so we had to clear some of the area to get a tent up. Did the dog friendly hike to the visitor center which was lovely in the snow. 

Camping in the Snow

We stayed here May 1, 2021. This particular weekend it camping was free and only loop A was open. We arrived around lunch time and there were several camp sites open. The sites are nice and secluded by trees. Fire rings and bear lockers are provided. There are several mule deer that roam the campsites. While we did not see any bear activity, we did hear what was thought to be a bear in the middle of the night rumbling a bear locker some ways away. There are vault toilets on site, which were surprisingly clean. Overall this campsite is nice!

Nice and cozy 

This camp was located at a high elevation with close campers divided by plots. The campsite had everything we needed with bathrooms and firepits. Take a ride to the viewpoints which were all breath taking. The scale of this place is unbelievable, almost unreal. The area is well preserved with wildlife everywhere. 

  

Try the hike at the end of the view points!

Epic Views and Comfortable Camping

Great campground. Inside the park and easy to get to the sites. Campsites where spaced apart with trees and bushes between them. Rest rooms and drinking water available. Plus electric if you need it.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP South Rim Campground

Visited on a fall day, not too busy, many sites available.  Most fairly private with the gamble oaks. Clean bathrooms, water available but they ask that you only use it for consumption. Electrical hookup available at about 1/3 of the sites.  Check before you select a site that the electrical works.  First site we tried it did not.

Private sites and relatively quiet during the fall

Black Canyon did not disappoint! We checked out loop A and Loop B before deciding on Loop A, as we didn’t need power. No cell service for T-Mobile. All power for Loop B will be cut off on Oct. 28th, so make sure you mind that if planning on camping this fall/winter. Some sites had wheelchair access and all toilets had wheelchair access. Each site had a bear box for food and the dumpsters near the pay station had recycling as well. Worth the visit! 

Stunning views

This campsite was beautiful, with a light dusting of snow all around. The bear lockers were nice, and the fire ring was also very nice. I went during the off season (winter) so the only fee I had to pay was 30 dollars to get into the National Park. Otherwise, this campsite is about 20 bucks a night during the on season. There were people around, but very considerate and quiet. 

Amazing Spot

We stayed in the winter off season in Loop A, since it’s the only loop open. They plow Loop A and all pull through sites. There was no fee for the campsite, just the park entrance fee. There’s no power in this loop and there’s no water since it’s shut off in the winter. There are pit toilets which are pretty clean for pit toilets. There were a few campers but they were spread so far apart since everyone needed pull through sites cause it snowed a lot recently. Some places the snow is up to your thighs and some places it’s up to your waist. 

Even without amenities, we were happy a campground was open in the Colorado winter. 

[Internet. Verizon via iPhone has no signal. However, with our booster Nighthawk MR-1100 - 25 mbps down and 1 mbps up with 200 ping.]

Winter camping!

Beautiful campground located on the South Rim of Gunnison National Park. The roads in the campground are paved, with large parking spots at each site. I was able to use my rooftop tent without any problems. The high elevation prevents large trees from growing so be prepared for a lack of shade, on a plus side it allows for unparalleled night sky viewing in this Dark Sky Park. Each site has it’s own private bear box, and the vault toilets are clean and as odor free as one can help. The camp hosts on A loop were very friendly. I’ll return next year with a telescope!

Great sites, spaced out, quiet, very dark sky!

 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  Outside of Montrose Colo a few miles.  South Rim CG is at 8200 elv.  Loop C is all FCFS and only $8 nite senior rate.  Loop A and B are all reservation and in addition Loop B has electric hookups.

Only three stars as the sites are tight and most are not easy setup for larger RVs. and most are side pull in so vehicles are passing you very close by and not good for kids and dogs. CG is in dense oak shrubs. 
Only one water spigot in C loop and sign notes no RV fill-up. Dumpsters at the CG pay station parking area. 

No TMobile cell up here so my Starlink RV setup is working great.

Tight CG in the Oaks

**General:** There are three loops on the East Rim; Loops A and B are reservable, and Loop C is first come, first available. Loop B has electric hookup sites (50, 30,&amp; 20 amp) while Loops A and C do not. Sites are rated by size of vehicle/camper they can accommodate (less than 25 feet; between 26 and 39 feet, and over 40 feet). Only one set of dumpsters and recycling bins are located nearest the A loop. All of the sites in Loop C are for small campers. The one handicap-accessible site is in Loop B. 

  

**Site Quality:** Gravel driveway, most looked level. Sites are generous in size and while they are separated by foliage, you will hear your neighbors. Each site has a fire ring and a small picnic table. For some reason, all the sites in the B loop except ours (B6) also had a tent pad. 

  

**Restrooms:** Two vault toilets in the B Loop and both were clean. 

  

**Activities:** There is a one-mile hike from the campground to the visitor center along the rim. Although it is not a long hike, make sure to bring water as it is at elevation (8,500 feet). There are several other hikes, including some that are very short (less than a quarter of a mile) to various viewpoints. This is also a dark sky area for those interested in star gazing/photography (There is a telescope viewing area). 

  

With so many well-known national parks not too far away, Black Canyon seems less visited, but it is just as beautiful as all the others. The campground was full but quiet. Beware of the poison ivy that was everywhere – both in the campsite and along the trails.

Beautiful lesser-known/visited National Park

Camping is the way to experience the beautiful NP. Sites are well maintained and bathrooms extremely clean. Highlights are the proximity of trailheads to campgrounds and the nightly ranger talks and dark sky observing. Experience couldn’t be better.

Outstanding National Park Campground

A well put together and nice national park campsite. Picnic tables and bear boxes at each site. A little rocky but able to drive tent stakes. Seems to have a bit of a wasp problem at the moment. Dark sky is no joke - awesome stars and night view of the Canyon within walking distance.

Nice National Park Campsite

Spent 3 nights at the South Rim campground in Black Canyon of the Gunnison Np. Great location for exploring the park. Just a Mike from the visitors center, and just off the rim drive. 
This is a dark sky park. Took photos of the stars.
Our site was right on the road, so we couldn’t use our slide out.