Gunnison
03. Crystal Dam to Chukar Trail (Black Canyon)
| Difficulty | IV-V(V+) |
| Length | 14.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 51 fpm |
| Gauge | Gunnison River Below Gunnison Tunnel, Co |
| Flow Rate as of 40 minutes | 258 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | January 23, 2024 |
The Black Canyon is a classic Colorado run through a spectacular chasm. The technical difficulty is dependent on the amount of portaging you plan to do. Class V+ drops are there for 'The Next Generation' . Fit mortals with strong shoulders can tone it down to V-. Make no mistake, the run has a solid class V adventure factor, so go in prepared. The canyon is very deep and committing with strenuous portaging and Prehistoric Level poison ivy; don't forget about the poison ivy. For a place that gets about an hour of sunlight a day, it has produced some of the healthiest poison ivy on the planet. At any rate, if you like being in deep remote canyons and enjoy high adventure, then this run is for you. Most of the drops are boulder-style and of the highest quality, at least the ones that are runnable. Many rapids in the canyon completely sieve out and require strenuous portaging. In 1997, Chuck Kern, a world-class paddler, drowned in an unseen undercut while attempting to run part of the section that's commonly portaged. A short description of the accident can be read here. Luckily, most of the portages are no-brainers; it's either a sweet drop or certain death. This run is usually done in two days but can easily be done in one long day if you know what you are doing, and if you are training for the Iron Man. A person spending the night in the canyon will be rewarded with a beautiful sandy beach and one of the best camping experiences ever. Day 1 Shortly after the put-in, the river moves through class III boulder-slalom type rapids. Be on the lookout for the first major drop Day Wrecker, which can sneak up on a paddler. This drop comes just after a sharp right-hand turn and is one of the few drops that will require careful consideration. The line is down a thin slot on the far left and into a powerful hole (this hole can't be seen from the scout on the right bank). Next, whether
...Jun 28, 2025
I wrote this + 15 years ago. Over time, others have added a couple pictures and added to the description. There was some pushback that I sandbagged the description, so I revised it to provide more scarry language. There is stuff in there like 'how will your buddies get your broken body out of there?'. Dead ends with sieves. Excruciating portaging. Killer poison ivy. Every 5 or so years I check back in, to refresh my memory, before I run it again. Now I see another comment that I sandbagged it. I guess I still sandbagged it.
SOOO... the previous comments are 100 percent accurate. This is V+++, Notthing less. No IV's none. No human has any right to be in there. The drops you can run are junk. If you survive those, its just a portage fest. The Golden Whitewater Park is a much better place to spend your time; then you can have brunch after. If you are done with life, the Back Canyon is a spectacular way to end it. Do not go in there unless you have a death wish. The scenery also sucks. It’s just a bunch of black rock. Spiders, spiders, and more spiders (call out to the authors of CCR2).
I relinquish control. The previous commenter can feel free to give his own gory details. You are right, I did spend a lot of time on this.... many years ago...It’s all yours, Nate. You can use what content you want, except the pictures. Go take your own, if you survive. I have my notes saved for myself. Next Generation.... I hereby pass the torch....
I hope somebody took some value from my description. It was a pleasure contributing to AW,
Matthew Hopkins
Feb 25, 2020
I want to iterate the comment from Nick David 11 years ago. By all standards this is a Class V run and the description is misleading. Sieves are endless in the Black Canyon, portages are mandatory and arduous and any rescue would have to come from the air as the walls are sheer. I am positive consensus amongst the state is this is for seasoned class V+ boaters.
This video captures the nature of the run well:
I would edit the post but someone has spent a lot of time on it and the beta is high quality.
