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Encyclopedia > Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location: Colorado, USA
Nearest city: Montrose, CO
Coordinates: 38°34′0″N, 107°43′0″W
Area: 32,950 acres (133 km²)
Established: October 21, 1999
Visitation: 175,406 (in 2004)
Governing body: National Park Service

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. There are two entrances to the park which are managed by the National Park Service. The more developed south rim entrance is located 15 miles (24 km) east of Montrose. The north rim entrance is located 11 miles (18 km) south of Crawford and is closed in the winter. The park is 47 mi² (122 km²) in size. The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Yosemite National Park in the United States. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ... Montrose is a city located in Montrose County, Colorado. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... The parks of the United States National Park system are one type of protected area in the United States and are operated by the U.S. National Park Service. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Montrose is a city located in Montrose County, Colorado. ... Crawford is a town located in Delta County, Colorado. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ...

Contents


Geology

Black Canyon is a deep gorge which the Gunnison River flows through. It is so deep and narrow that little sunlight reaches into it, making the walls look black. The Gunnison River, a tributary of the Colorado River, is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States The Gunnison River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 180 mi (290 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...


In the canyon, the Gunnison River drops an average of 96 feet per mile (18 m/km). In one 2-mile (3 km) stretch it drops 480 feet (150 m). From the top of the canyon one can hear the river as it crashes through the canyon.


The canyon is composed of quartz monzonite, a type of granite. Quartz monzonite is a felsic igneous rock that has an approximately equal proportion of orthoclase and plagioclase feldspars. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ...


Biology

Plants native to the park include: Aspen, Ponderosa pine, Sagebrush, desert mahogany, Utah Juniper, Gambel oak (scrub oak), and Singleleaf Ash. Species Populus adenopoda Populus alba Populus grandidentata Populus sieboldii Populus tremula Populus tremuloides Aspens are trees of the willow family and comprise a section of the poplar genus Populus sect. ... Binomial name Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex C. Lawson Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) is a widespread and very variable pine native to western North America. ... Binomial name Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ... Binomial name Juniperus osteosperma (Torr. ... Binomial name Quercus gambelii Nutt. ... Species Many, see text. ...


Some birds that live in the park are: Great Horned Owl (resident), Mountain Bluebird (migratory), Steller's jay (resident), Peregrine falcon (migratory), White-throated Swift (migratory), Canyon Wren (migratory), American Dipper (resident). Binomial name Bubo virginianus (Gmelin,, 1788) The Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, is a very large owl. ... Binomial name Sialia currucoides (Bechstein, 1798) The Mountain Bluebird, Sialia currucoides, is a medium-sized thrush. ... Binomial name Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin, 1788) The Stellers Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a jay of western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but having a black head and upper body. ... Binomial name Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 The Peregrine Falcon or, in North America, Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus) is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 38-53 cm (15 to 21 inches) long. ... Binomial name Catherpes mexicanus Swainson, 1829 The Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) is a small North American wren, and is about 5. ... Binomial name Cinclus mexicanus Swainson, 1827 The American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a Water Ouzel, is a stocky dark grey bird with a head sometimes tinged with brown. ...


Attractions

The main attraction of the park is the scenic drive along the south rim. There is also a campground and several miles of hiking and nature trails. The river can be accessed by a steep, unmaintained trail that takes about 4 hours to hike down and 6 to hike back. A campsite (or campground) is a place used for camping. ... Beautiful natural scenes are common hiking destinations Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ...

Black Canyon from Tomichi Point
Black Canyon from Tomichi Point

Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P. taken by me and put under the GNU FDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P. taken by me and put under the GNU FDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

History

The area was established as a U.S. National Monument on March 2, 1933 and made into a National Park on October 21, 1999. A U.S. National Monument is a protected area of the United States that is similar to a national park (specifically a U.S. National Park) except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a national monument without Congressional... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Yosemite National Park in the United States. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...


Music

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is also a symphonic composition by Frank Erickson, which has been performed on the rim of the canyon.


External links

National Parks of the United States

Acadia | American Samoa | Arches | Badlands | Big Bend | Biscayne | Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Bryce Canyon | Canyonlands | Capitol Reef | Carlsbad Caverns | Channel Islands | Congaree | Crater Lake | Cuyahoga Valley | Death Valley | Denali | Dry Tortugas | Everglades | Gates of the Arctic | Glacier | Glacier Bay | Grand Canyon | Grand Teton | Great Basin | Great Sand Dunes | Great Smoky Mountains | Guadalupe Mountains | Haleakala | Hawaii Volcanoes | Hot Springs | Isle Royale | Joshua Tree | Katmai | Kenai Fjords | Kings Canyon | Kobuk Valley | Lake Clark | Lassen Volcanic | Mammoth Cave | Mesa Verde | Mount Rainier | North Cascades | Olympic | Petrified Forest | Redwood | Rocky Mountain | Saguaro | Sequoia | Shenandoah | Theodore Roosevelt | Virgin Islands | Voyageurs | Wind Cave | Wrangell-St. Elias | Yellowstone | Yosemite | Zion The parks of the United States National Park system are one type of protected area in the United States and are operated by the National Park Service. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Image:Delicatearch. ... Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... Badlands National Park, in southwest South Dakota, preserves 242,756 acres (982 km²) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. ... Big Bend National Park is a national park located in Texas, USA. For more than 1,000 miles (1600 km) the Rio Grande / Río Bravo forms the international boundary between Mexico and the United States; Big Bend National Park administers approximately one-quarter of that boundary. ... Biscayne National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southern Florida, due east of Homestead, FL. The park preserves Biscayne Bay, one of the top scuba diving areas in the United States. ... Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. ... Canyonlands National Park, located near Moab, Utah and the Arches National Park, was designated as a National Park on September 12, 1964. ... Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. ... Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park located in the Guadalupe Mountains the southeastern corner of New Mexico, Eddy County. ... The Channel Islands National Park is a national park that consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of the U.S. state of California, in the Pacific Ocean. ... Located in South Carolina, the 34 mi² (89 km²) Congaree National Park is the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States but one of the smallest national parks. ... Crater Lake National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Oregon whose most famous feature is Crater Lake. ... Cuyahoga River in the park Categories: Stub | National parks of the United States | Ohio landmarks ... Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid national park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Inyo County, California, USA with a small extension and exclave (Devils Hole) in Nevada. ... Denali National Park Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. ... Dry Tortugas National Park is a United States National Park, located in the Dry Tortugas islands of the Florida Keys. ... Everglades National Park preserves the southern portion of the Everglades (all south of Tamiami Trail), but represents only 20 % of the original wetland area. ... Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of several large U.S. National Parks in Alaska. ... Glacier National Park is a National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. ... The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. ... Grand Canyon National Park is one of Americas oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. ... Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in western Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. ... Great Basin National Park is a United States National Park, located in east-central Nevada near its border with Utah. ... Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve became a United States National Park by an act of Congress on September 13, 2004. ... The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains. ... Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet (2,667 m) in elevation. ... Haleakalā National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. ... Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution—processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. ... Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the town of Hot Springs. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Isle Royale. ... A Joshua tree silhouetted by a rock Joshua Tree National Park is located in south-eastern California. ... Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kenai Fjords National Park is a United States National Park on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska near the town of Seward. ... This Article is about Kings Canyon National Park, USA. For Kings Canyon, Australia, see Kings Canyon, Northern Territory. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kobuk Valley National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Alaska north of the Arctic Circle. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southwestern Alaska. ... Map of Lassen area showing hydrothermal features (red dots) and volcanic feature or remnant (yellow cones). ... Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in south-central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the most-extensive cave system known in the world. ... Mesa Verde National Park is a national park, located in southwest Colorado. ... Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County, Washington. ... Looking toward Magic Mountain from the Cascade Pass trail North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Washington state. ... Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the far northwestern part of the state known as the Olympic Peninsula. ... Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona, along Interstate 40 between Holbrook and Navajo. ... Established in 1968 from unprotected land as well as small portions of existing state parks, Redwood National Park is a United States National Park on the northern coast of California between Eureka and Crescent City. ... Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States system of national parks. ... Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. ... Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Piedmont region of Virginia. ... Established in 1978, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. ... Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 11 miles (18 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Wrangell-St. ... Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-tee, IPA ) is a national park largely in Mariposa County, and Tuolumne County, California, United States. ... Zion National Park is located near Springdale, Utah in the southwestern United States. ...



 

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