Rocky Mountain or Black Canyon Of The Gunnison
Rocky Mountain drew 4,171,431 recreation visits in 2025, 16.7 times the 250,086 at Black Canyon Of The Gunnison, so crowds are the largest difference. Black Canyon Of The Gunnison holds an International Dark Sky designation and Rocky Mountain does not. Rocky Mountain has 5 campgrounds to 3 at Black Canyon Of The Gunnison. On the rest they match, since both charge $30 per private vehicle and neither uses timed entry. The two parks are 164 miles apart in a straight line.
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Designation | National Park | National Park |
| States | Colorado | Colorado |
| Recreation visits, 2025 | 4,171,431 | 250,086 |
| Entrance fee, private vehicle | $30 (Private Vehicle) | $30 (Private Vehicle) |
| Timed entry reservation | Yes | No |
| Campgrounds | 5 | 3 |
| International Dark Sky Park | No | Yes |
| Bird species, NPSpecies | 257 | 174 |
| Hours or season | Open all day, every day | Open all day, every day |
Rocky Mountain visits by yearBlack Canyon Of The Gunnison visits by year
Fees, hours, campgrounds and timed entry from the NPS API. Visits from the NPS Visitor Use Statistics system. Dark sky status from DarkSky International. Bird counts from the NPSpecies inventory. Data refreshed October 14, 2026. Other pairs.