How many people visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park each year?

250,086 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #50 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 239,225 a year.

What was Black Canyon of the Gunnison's busiest year?

2019, with 432,818 recreation visits — +73.1% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was August 1980 (82,583 visits).

Is Black Canyon of the Gunnison getting more crowded?

2025 visits were +19.6% compared with 2015 and +38.3% compared with 2005.

What counts as a recreation visit?

The NPS counts a recreation visit as one person entering the park for recreation; someone who leaves and re-enters is counted again, and commuters, through-traffic and staff are excluded. Counts come from gate and traffic counters with park-specific multipliers, so they are estimates.

Why does the record start before Black Canyon of the Gunnison became a national park?

The NPS counts visits by park unit, and the unit kept the same statistics code when it was redesignated a national park in 1999. Earlier years are visits to the same place under its previous designation.

Visitor statistics

How many people visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison?

Last verified October 5, 2026NPS Visitor Use Statistics1979–2025

250,086 recreation visits in 2025, #50 of 63 national parks. The record is 2019 (432,818). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts, including the years before it became a national park in 1999.

Black Canyon near Tomichi Point — Photo: NPS Photo/Lynch

2025 visits: 250,086; −25.5% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #50; of 63 national parks
Record year: 2019; 432,818 visits
vs 2015: +19.6%; ten-year change
vs 1979: +6.7%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Aug 1980; 82,583 visits

1979–2025

Every year since the counts began

Recreation visits per calendar year, as reported to the NPS Visitor Use Statistics office. The 2025 bar is highlighted; a missing bar means the park did not report all twelve months that year.

Show the full table (47 years) ↓

Year	Recreation visits	Change	Rank
2025	250,086	−25.5%	#50
2024	335,862	−5.9%	#49
2023	357,069	+20.1%	#47
2022	297,257	−3.8%	#48
2021	308,910	−9.6%	#48
2020	341,620	−21.1%	#39
2019	432,818	+40.1%	#46
2018	308,962	+0.6%	#48
2017	307,143	+29.0%	#47
2016	238,018	+13.8%	#50
2015	209,166	+14.3%	#50
2014	183,045	+4.1%	#51
2013	175,852	−8.7%	#51
2012	192,570	+14.4%	#51
2011	168,336	−4.5%	#51
2010	176,344	+2.9%	#52
2009	171,451	+7.0%	#51
2008	160,185	−27.0%	#52
2007	219,576	+36.9%	#50
2006	160,450	−11.3%	#51
2005	180,814	+3.0%	#49
2004	175,581	+5.0%	#51
2003	167,247	−3.7%	#51
2002	173,687	−4.0%	#51
2001	181,018	−5.5%	#51
2000	191,506	−4.3%	#51
1999	200,142	+3.5%	#51
1998	193,451	−7.8%	#51
1997	209,863	+4.9%	#51
1996	200,125	−9.5%	#51
1995	221,113	+3.2%	#49
1994	214,194	−32.9%	#47
1993	319,322	−5.3%	#44
1992	337,209	+6.6%	#43
1991	316,336	+14.9%	#44
1990	275,323	−4.6%	#45
1989	288,586	+7.3%	#44
1988	269,073	−5.7%	#45
1987	285,439	−1.3%	#44
1986	289,117	+8.7%	#44
1985	266,012	+5.1%	#43
1984	253,048	−13.2%	#43
1983	291,618	+28.2%	#42
1982	227,428	−14.7%	#43
1981	266,604	−20.7%	#42
1980	336,119	+43.5%	#40
1979	234,286	—	#43

By decade

The long view

1970s: 234,286; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 277,304; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 248,708; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 178,152; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 239,225; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 315,134; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 61% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 49% — visits have spread out across the year.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

JFMAMJJASOND

Quietest: FebruaryBusiest: June

The weather page puts these crowd levels beside each month’s temperatures.

About these numbers

Figures are the National Park Service’s monthly recreation-visit counts, retrieved from its public statistics service and summed by calendar year. A year is shown only when all twelve months were reported. The NPS revises recent months occasionally, so small differences from a later nps.gov table are normal. Rankings compare the 63 national parks for the same year. See every park ranked for 2025.

Sources · 2

1.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits by park, 1979–2025 · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics Definitions · National Park Service

FAQ

Black Canyon of the Gunnison visitor questions

How many people visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park each year?: 250,086 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #50 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 239,225 a year.
What was Black Canyon of the Gunnison's busiest year?: 2019, with 432,818 recreation visits — +73.1% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was August 1980 (82,583 visits).
Is Black Canyon of the Gunnison getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were +19.6% compared with 2015 and +38.3% compared with 2005.
What counts as a recreation visit?: The NPS counts a recreation visit as one person entering the park for recreation; someone who leaves and re-enters is counted again, and commuters, through-traffic and staff are excluded. Counts come from gate and traffic counters with park-specific multipliers, so they are estimates.
Why does the record start before Black Canyon of the Gunnison became a national park?: The NPS counts visits by park unit, and the unit kept the same statistics code when it was redesignated a national park in 1999. Earlier years are visits to the same place under its previous designation.

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