National park in western Colorado celebrating 25 years

A soaring, steep and narrow canyon in western Colorado became a national park on Oct. 21, 1999. A 25th birthday party is set for that upcoming date.

The party will take place at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park's South Rim Visitor Center. But a proper celebration of the park does not happen indoors, but rather out amid the nature that made it worthy of the designation that then-President Bill Clinton signed into law.

From 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the visitor center that Monday, a ranger will guide visitors through the sky with a solar telescope. A talk on the area's human history is set for 11 a.m. at the Pulpit Rock overlook, where a talk on geology is scheduled to follow at 2 p.m.

Formerly a national monument dating back to the 1930s, Black Canyon of the Gunnison became a national park along with the establishment of Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area through Public Law 106-67.

The act noted "unique ecological, geological, scenic, historical and wildlife components enhanced by the serenity and rural western setting of the area." The act continued: "the benefits of designating public and private land surrounding the national monument as a national park include greater long-term protection of the resources and expanded visitor use opportunities."

Once considered a "hidden gem," Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has increasingly been discovered over its 25 years.

Agency data show 191,506 recreation visits in 2000, a year after the park's establishment. That figure was 357,069 last year, up 15% over the past five years. Black Canyon of the Gunnison's 2023 visitation was its highest since 2019, when the National Park Service reported near-record visitation systemwide.