The newest of the National Parks in the United States. It was created A.D. 1999 October 21st after years of lobbying on the part of Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. It is Colordo's 3rd National Park along with Rocky Mountain National Park and Mesa Verde National Park.

Though it is not very deep (only about 700 meters) it is very shear. From rim to rim is only 500 meters in the narrows. The River is named for a army surveyor named John W. Gunnison for whom the Gunnison River and the town of Gunnison are named.

Personally it has been one of my favorite atractions in Colorado. Standing on the rim looking down into the gorge is quite a thrill. I hope that it becoming a National Park does not flood the area with tourists. Though I still recomend it to those willing to get off the beaten path, especially to the less visited north rim rather than the easy to get to south rim.

On the down side the north rim can only be accessed by wandering over several miles of country roads. There are signs to direct visitors, but it can be a bit discouraging to take so long getting to the sight.

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