Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground
October 2026
About
Overview
A camping trip to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park makes for a beautiful getaway for sightseeing, stargazing, and hiking. The park protects the most dramatic section of the Gunnison River Canyon; no other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths of Black Canyon.
Recreation
Take one of many spectacular hiking trails such as the Oak Flat Loop Trail and watch for birds like the black-billed magpie.
In summer, catch an evening educational program in the campground amphitheater.
Winter activities include snowshoeing on Rim Rock Trail or go cross country skiing on South Rim Drive (South Rim Campground is first-come, first-served in winter).
Facilities
Campsites are open year round, but drinking water is only available mid-May through mid-October. Electric hookups are in Loop B and available year around.
Natural Features
Perched on the South Rim of the Black Canyon, this campground is surrounded by scrub oak forests and sits atop ancient hard rocks. Deer, grouse, bears, and bobcats are known to frequent the area.
Nearby Attractions
Visit the Cimarron Canyon Rail Exhibit to see railcars and the last remaining railroad trestle on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route. Head upstream to Curecanti National Recreation Area to enjoy water recreation on Colorado's largest reservoir.
Amenities
Phone: 970-249-1914 EXT 425
Is Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground fully booked?
A campground showing no availability is almost never full for good. People cancel — plans change, weather turns, someone books three weekends and keeps one — and the site goes straight back into the booking system, usually without warning and often at odd hours. The reason sold-out campgrounds feel impossible is not that sites never free up; it is that nobody is watching at the moment they do.
CampHawk watches Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground in Montrose, CO for you. We recheck it every 15 seconds, around the clock, and the moment a site opens we send a text, an email and a push notification — and on Recreation.gov we can put the site straight into your cart, so it is held while you get to your phone.
Searching is free and needs no account — the calendar above is live right now. Watching Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground for cancellations is the paid part.