Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado)

… was authorized as a national monument on this date in 1933. It became a national park in 1999.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison’s unique and spectacular landscape was formed slowly by the action of water and rock scouring down through hard Proterozoic crystalline rock. No other canyon in North America combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths offered by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park