The useful facilities
There’s a picnic shelter and a vault/composting toilet. North Rim drinking water is trucked in and available in summer only, then shut off in spring, fall and winter. Plan on a refill here only during that summer window.
Overview
About North Rim Ranger Station
Why stop
- Fee and wilderness-permit self-service sit at the North Vista trailhead.
Heads up
- Ranger staffing is intermittent in summer; the station closes in winter.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Black Canyon of the Gunnison map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The useful facilities
3 active Black Canyon of the Gunnison alerts
- ClosureTomichi Route Closed; Gunnison Route Hazards from 2025 FireTomichi Route remains closed because of the 2025 South Rim Fire; inner-canyon access is limited to designated routes.Official details
- ClosureSouth Rim Fire-Affected Campground Areas and Winter Water OutagesSome South Rim Campground areas remain closed because of the 2025 South Rim Fire; drinking water is unavailable throughout the park for winter.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison Tour Guide
Your drive to North Rim Ranger Station, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
North Vista Trail to Exclamation Point0:00 / 0:26
“You're nearing the North Rim Ranger Station, the start of North Vista Trail to Exclamation Point and its view along a bend in the Gunnison.”
Plays as you drive up to North Rim Ranger Station in the Parkwolf Black Canyon of the Gunnison Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- North Chasm View from the Campground
- South Rim Chasm View
- Narrows and Balanced Rock Overlooks
- Painted Wall Overlook
- 23 audio storiesacross Black Canyon of the Gunnison’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Red-tailed Hawk, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 13 trails, 29 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about North Rim Ranger Station
What happens hereNorth Rim Ranger Station is a small National Park Service information and permit stop at the…
North Rim Ranger Station is a small National Park Service information and permit stop at the start of North Vista Trail. It’s the practical place to sort out a self-pay entrance fee or self-register for a wilderness permit before heading toward Exclamation Point or Green Mountain. Rangers are here only intermittently in summer, so use the outside fee station and permit kiosk rather than planning on help inside; maps and information are posted on the porch.
The drive to itFrom CO 92, turn west onto Black Canyon Road about three miles south of Crawford; the North Rim…
From CO 92, turn west onto Black Canyon Road about three miles south of Crawford; the North Rim is 11 miles southwest of town. The last seven miles of park access road and all of North Rim Drive are unpaved gravel. They’re typically passable for most vehicles, but they’re not plowed and close to vehicles in winter and early spring. Check the North Rim road conditions before setting out.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Black Canyon of the Gunnison
50 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
68 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
11 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
10 sightingsCooper's HawkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
66 sightingsCollared LizardMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
164 sightingsFence LizardMost seen around 10 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
