Black Canyon of the Gunnisonan aMazoing Bookmark It's been many photos and many post since the last addition to my aMazing Bookmark collection, so tonight felt like the right time to add one. And it's one from an amazing place, adding another layer to the word play in the word aMazing. It's also the first one in vertical format I have done so far.

It's also a sneak peak into an upcoming post in the 2013 Road Trip series, where the Black Canyon was one of the highlights of our weeklong stay and trips to the vicinity of Mesa, Colorado.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is not one of the most visited national parks neither is it the one that people will mention when you ask them what the next park they want to visit is. In my opinion though, it is an overlooked gem of the national park system and well worth the visit.

From the very first glimpse it offers dramatic views into the deep gorge of the Gunnison River, a river that dramatically drops through the canyon at 34 feet per mile, almost 5 times steeper than the Colorado RIver through the Grand Canyon. The colors of the rocks you will see in this canyon resembles the Rocky Mountains and the Yosemite and King Canyons rather than the nearby red rock country in Utah, and is a wonderful different twist on the natural beauty.

Don't take me wrong, I love the red rocks and could spend weeks exploring Arches, Canyonlands, Colorado National Monument, and other parks not that far from here, but Black Rock Canyon offers something completely different than the desolation of the red rock country. The greens make it feel so much more alive!

So, get a bunch of these bookmarks for yourself and the book readers around you and inspire them to take a trip!

Have fun exploring the natural beauties wherever you are!

More about the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park:

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on WIkipedia
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park by National Park Service
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park by National Geographic