Chasm View

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is remarkable not for its width but for its depth and steepness, and Chasm View shows that better than almost anywhere. Here the canyon pinches in, so the opposite wall feels startlingly close while the river lies more than 1,800 feet straight below.

Because the gorge is so narrow and deep, the walls block most of the sun, and the depths stay in shadow for much of the day, part of what gives the canyon its dark, brooding character and its name. On a quiet day, the sound of the rushing Gunnison River rises all the way to the rim.

Chasm View is reached by a short walk from a pullout on the South Rim Drive, and the overlook also sits near the top of the route that climbers and inner-canyon hikers use, so you may spot climbers on the walls. Across the chasm, the Painted Wall, the tallest cliff in Colorado, rises in full view.

The edges here are sheer and the exposure is real, so it is essential to stay back from the rim, hold onto children, and watch your footing. The South Rim Drive is generally open spring through fall and closes with winter snow, so check current conditions before you go.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Chasm View is an overlook in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado, reached by a short walk from the South Rim Drive. It looks out over one of the narrowest and steepest parts of the canyon, where the walls plunge more than 1,800 feet almost straight down to the Gunnison River. Across the narrow gorge rises the Painted Wall, the tallest cliff in Colorado, and the river far below is often close enough to hear. Because the canyon here is so deep and narrow, the depths stay in shadow much of the day, which is part of how the Black Canyon earned its name. Looking straight down into the chasm is a heart-stopping, memorable experience.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison gets its name from how dark its depths appear. The canyon is extremely deep, narrow, and steep, so its sheer walls block most of the sunlight, and parts of the gorge receive only a short period of direct sun each day. As a result, the depths often lie in shadow and appear dark, or black, especially compared with the bright rim above. The dark color of the ancient rock that forms the walls adds to the effect. Overlooks like Chasm View, where the canyon pinches to its narrowest and the walls plunge over 1,800 feet, show this dramatically, with the shadowed river far below. The name captures the brooding, mysterious feel of peering into these deep, dim depths.

At Chasm View, the canyon walls drop more than 1,800 feet almost straight down to the Gunnison River below. While Black Canyon of the Gunnison reaches its greatest depth of around 2,700 feet elsewhere in the park, Chasm View is notable because the canyon is so narrow here that the depth feels especially dramatic and vertigo-inducing, with the opposite wall startlingly close. The combination of great depth and narrow width is what makes this canyon so distinctive: it is not a wide canyon like the Grand Canyon, but a deep, steep, shadowy slot. Standing at the railing and looking straight down the sheer wall to the river is a striking experience along the South Rim.

Yes, Chasm View is one of the places in Black Canyon of the Gunnison where you may spot rock climbers, because it sits near routes that climbers and inner-canyon hikers use to access the walls and the river below. The sheer, tall cliffs of the Black Canyon are a famous and serious destination for experienced climbers, offering long, challenging routes on ancient rock. From the overlook, sharp-eyed visitors sometimes see tiny figures on the vast walls, which helps convey just how enormous the cliffs are. If you do watch climbers, use binoculars for a better look, and remember that these are expert routes in a rugged, committing environment, not something for casual visitors to attempt.