Parking
Park at Kneeling Camel Overlook on North Rim Road. Walk east to the spur road for the old Ranger Station; the trail proper begins on that old service road.
Overview
About Deadhorse Trail
Why go
- Views toward Deadhorse Gulch, East Portal and the Gunnison River
- Good option for a longer open-country walk and birding
Heads up
- Open shrubland occupies much of the approach before the main view
- Natural endpoint is unmaintained and brush can soften the view
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Black Canyon of the Gunnison map
Full mapElevation7,910–8,320 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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 Deadhorse Trail, 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 trailhead
Kneeling Camel Overlook and Deadhorse Trail0:00 / 0:29
“Kneeling Camel Overlook is coming up, with a rock profile that looks like a camel resting above the canyon. You can enjoy the steep-walled view beside the parking area with almost no walking.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Black Canyon of the Gunnison Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Island Peaks Overlook
- South Rim Visitor Center and Gunnison Point
- Big Island Overlook
- Pulpit Rock 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Deadhorse Trail
The longer walk to the canyonDeadhorse Trail is a 5.
Deadhorse Trail is a 5.2-mile out-and-back from Kneeling Camel Overlook, following an old service road through North Rim scrub to a natural viewpoint over Deadhorse Gulch and East Portal on the Gunnison River. The main trail is 2.6 miles one way; the separate loop makes a different, 6.6-mile round-trip choice. Allow about three hours for this moderate walk. Expect sagebrush and Gambel oak for much of the approach, with the biggest canyon view saved for the end.
Start at Kneeling CamelPark at Kneeling Camel Overlook on North Rim Road, then walk east to the spur road for the old…
Park at Kneeling Camel Overlook on North Rim Road, then walk east to the spur road for the old Ranger Station; that service road is where the trail proper begins. The park lists the route for spring through fall. No permit is required. Day-use horseback riding is allowed here, but pets are not.
Across the plateauThe old road crosses open scrub before dipping roughly 55 feet into a small gulch and climbing…
The old road crosses open scrub before dipping roughly 55 feet into a small gulch and climbing back out. It passes connections to the optional loop; stay on the main route for the shorter, no-loop itinerary. This is a destination walk rather than a continuous rim stroll, so the long stretches between canyon views are part of the deal.
At the endThe route finishes at a natural, unmaintained viewpoint rather than a developed platform.
The route finishes at a natural, unmaintained viewpoint rather than a developed platform. From there, look toward Deadhorse Gulch, East Portal and the Gunnison River far below. The park notes good birding along the trail. Brush at the end can soften the frame, but the view opens onto the deep canyon walls and river corridor.
The canyon belowThe rock walls make the scale of the Black Canyon easier to read from above: ancient…
The rock walls make the scale of the Black Canyon easier to read from above: ancient metamorphic rock was lifted during the Gunnison Uplift about 60 million years ago, and the Gunnison River began cutting the canyon in earnest around two million years ago.
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.
