Wildflowers and flowering shrubs found at Black Canyon bloom in early season (April–June), mid-season (June–July), and late season (July–September). They grow on the canyon rim, uplands, and the inner canyon. Mariposa lilies are native to Western North America. 

The cliffs of Black Canyon are a siren call to rock climbers, but this place is not to be lightly tackled by beginners. To read more about rock climbing at this national park in Colorado, click here.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park's diverse landscape provides habitat for about 250 species of birds, including this quirky least bittern pictured here.

Black Canyon is home to 174 bird species, including this canyon wren.

Twenty-five miles (40 km) of the river’s 100 miles (161 km) run the length of the park from south to north, so it’s a no-brainer to want to paddle a canoe or kayak through the park on this waterway. Click here to read more about paddling the Cuyahoga River.

According to the National Park Service, "Black Canyon is the result of multiple episodes of uplift and erosion and the carving power of the Gunnison River. The canyon displays a wide variety of rock types - including igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary."

From Superfund Site to environmental success story, Krejci was once a salvage yard and waste disposal facility. Cuyahoga Valley National Park acquired the land and began the task of cleanup. Click here to read more about this.

"Deep, steep, and narrow." According to the National Park Service, Black Canyon exposes nearly two billion year old Precambrian "basement rocks," one of the best examples in the world.

This first month of the 2025 New Year is all about throwback in the National Park System, with a little added trivia.

When driving the Chisos Basin Road toward the Chisos Mountains and the Chisos Mountains Lodge, think about the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). They built the road. 

According to park staff:

This first month of the 2025 New Year is all about throwback in the National Park System, with a little added trivia.

Did you know that when Paradise Inn opened for business in 1917 up at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, there were tent cabins there, too? According to Mount Rainier Guest Service's history page for the Paradise Inn: