Is Black Canyon of the Gunnison Open?

On July 10, 2025, a severe thunderstorm with lots of lightning sparked wildfires on both Black Canyon of the Gunnison’s North and South rims. After weeks of total closure, parts of the park began to re-open in late July. As of August 28, 2025, the North Rim is completely open including the first-come, first-served campground, trails and viewpoints. The South Rim is partially open including the visitor center, all of South Rim Drive including its 12 viewpoints, Rim Rock Trail from the visitor center to Tomichi Point and Warner Point Trail and the Warner and Red Rock Canyon wilderness routes (for permit holders). East Portal Road is also open again, allowing visitors to access the bottom of the canyon (though the campground still remains closed). While the experience won’t look like it might in your guidebook, you’ll see a sobering reminder on the power of nature amid burned vegetation. The rest of the South Rim remains closed, including East Portal, the South Rim campground and all other trails and wilderness routes. For safety, stay out of burned areas.

While the South Rim Visitor Center has survived, according to initial assessments, other parts of the park were not as lucky. The South Rim Campground, several structures including warehouses, management buildings, bathrooms, and overlook infrastructure throughout the park were destroyed or heavily damaged.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, located near Montrose, Colorado, once brought to mind sheer canyon walls–their grandeur giving the Grand Canyon a run for its money–framed by gnarled pinon pine trees. It was a quiet and rugged landscape, seeing the fewest visitors of the state’s four national parks and offering peaceful solitude. The initial photos of the South Rim show a sobering new reality, with blackened trees, bare ground and smoke in the distance.

When Will Black Canyon of the Gunnison Reopen?

Officials have announced that the South Rim will re-open in stages as repairs are completed, though it may be some time until the campgrounds re-open due to severe damage. Unlike Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park which also experienced a devastating wildfire this year, Black Canyon re-opened parts of the South Rim following the fire. Nearly 80% of the park’s popular South Rim has burned, according to The Daily Sentinel.  Visitors should expect campgrounds to remain closed at least through 2025. All reservations for the South Rim Campground, plus wilderness permits, have been cancelled.

Are Colorado’s Other National Parks Open?

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is the only one of Colorado’s four national parks affected by wildfire as of September 3, 2025. Visitors can pivot and still see Rocky Mountain’s alpine wonderland, cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde and the tallest sand dunes in North America at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Close to Black Canyon, the co-managed Curecanti National Recreation Area remains open and nearby towns like Montrose, Delta, Cedaredge and Paonia are still open and welcoming visitors.