Cedar Point Overlook

Cedar Point is a pair of rim overlooks reached by a short walk off South Rim Drive. From the two viewing spots, the Gunnison River lies far below and Painted Wall rises across the canyon. It is a worthwhile stop for a close look into the canyon without committing to a long hike.

The unpaved Cedar Point Nature Trail starts at its parking area off South Rim Drive and has a moderate slope. The walk from the parking area to the overlooks is 303 yards; retrace the path on the way back. The trail is not wheelchair accessible, and pets are allowed on leash. Park entrance fees may apply. The South Rim is the park's only area open year-round, though services are limited in winter and early spring.

Across the gorge, the pale and pink bands on Painted Wall are pegmatite, coarse-grained igneous rock injected into darker metamorphic rock during three separate episodes. Pegmatite resists erosion better than the surrounding gneiss and schist, so the intrusions stand out as stripes and dikes on the cliff face. At 2,250 feet, Painted Wall is Colorado's tallest cliff.

The exposed canyon includes metamorphic rocks whose transformation is estimated at 1.7 to 1.9 billion years ago. Their original material may have been sand, mud and volcanic debris on an ancient seafloor, later changed by heat and pressure. From Cedar Point, the contrast between dark walls and pale veins makes that long history unusually visible.

The approach is also a short nature trail, with guideposts identifying plants along the path. Pause at them on the way out rather than hurrying straight to the overlooks.

For a photo, keep some of the Gunnison River low in the frame with the far wall above it; the river gives the steep canyon a clear sense of scale. Look across the opposite rim for Painted Wall's conspicuous pale-pink bands.