Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Hiking GUNNISON ROUTE, South & North Rim, Painted Wall

Steep, narrow, and deep, Colorado's Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park looks like something dreamed up by J.R.R. Tolkien as Mordor in Lord of the Rings.
I'll take you exploring:
- popular South Rim Road and Painted Wall
- notorious Gunnison Route hike
- remote North Rim and Exclamation Point!
Driving South Rim Road - a seven-mile scenic drive dotted with dramatic overlooks and gut-wrenching drop-offs to the Gunnison River below.
Hiking the Gunnison Route - the most popular and sought-after hike in the park. Only 15 permits are granted daily to hikers seeking to explore the Black Canyon hidden depths. Called a "route" not a "trail," this adventure requires trailblazing your own path down rockslide debris fields and flash flood ravines to reach the canyon floor, descending 1,800 feet in under a mile.
Remote North Rim - despite being only a couple thousand feet away, the North Rim is the more remote and primitive side of the park. No bridges cross the Black Canyon, so reaching the North Rim requires a two-hour, 100-mile drive around the canyon. For me, this remoteness in an already under-visited national park was exactly the experience I'd hoped to get.
You'll have to watch to see how it goes.
Thanks for watching!
_____
Hi there, I'm James, and I'm traveling around in my self-converted Ram Promaster camper van named Voyager. Join me as I explore life on the road on my own odyssey!
📍#colorado #vanlife
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Black Canyon of the Gunnison
00:59 South Rim Road
01:09 Pulpit Overlook
01:25 Cross Fissures Overlook
01:48 Rock Point Overlook
02:17 Devils Lookout
03:14 Chasm View
03:45 The Plan
04:43 Sunrise at the Painted Wall
05:30 Prep for Gunnison Route
06:05 Hiking the Gunnison Route
15:07 Lunch at Starvin' Arvin's in Montrose
15:32 Entrance to North Rim
16:16 Chasm View (North Rim)
17:06 Thoughts on North Rim's Remoteness
17:22 1,700' Drop
18:32 Why I'm Loving Black Canyon
19:20 North Vista Trail
21:09 Exclamation Point
21:59 Alone & Anxious
22:44 The Narrows
23:17 See y'all later

[@NathanLoomis]

One of my favorite parks - glad you got to go there! Well done on getting all the way down to the river.

[@JamesPuente]

Thanks! Same man! Was a lot more stunning of a park than I expected!

[@JerrysScenicCycling]

Your videos are great! I really enjoy them and am impressed with your videography, editing, and onscreen persona. I watched this video and your video of Dinosaur National Monument because I live in nearby Grand Junction, Colorado. I plan to keep watching your videos and liking them.

[@JamesPuente]

Thank you, Jerry! I appreciate that! Colorado is a spectacular place, I can’t wait to make it back that way!

[@etpee]

Hey James. Nice vids. We were at Wrinkled Rock. I enter Colo. tomorrow. You've inspired me to check out the million $ hwy

[@JamesPuente]

Thanks Pete, enjoy Colorado! Million dollar Highway is a great area!