The
Gunnison River drops an average of 43 feet per mile (8 m/km)
through the entire canyon, making it one of the steepest
mountain descents in North America. In comparison, the Colorado
River through the Grand Canyon drops an average of 7.5 feet
per mile (1.4 m/km). The greatest descent of the Gunnison
River occurs in the park at Chasm View dropping 240 feet
per mile (45 m/km). The Black Canyon is so named on account
of its steepness which makes it difficult for sunlight to
penetrate very far down the canyon. As a result, the canyon
walls are most often in shadow, causing the rocky walls to
appear black. At its narrowest point the canyon is only 40
feet (12 m) across at the river. The extreme steepness and
depth of the Black Canyon formed as the result of several
geologic processes acting together. The Gunnison River is
primarily responsible for carving the canyon, though several
other geologic events had to occur in order to form the canyon
as it is seen today. (Source Wikipedia)
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