Hiking the Long Draw Trail in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Distance (One Way): 0.6 miles / 1.0 km
Elevation Change: ~1,600 ft. (488 m)
The Long Draw Trail on the North Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is my personal favorite of the seven steep routes that lead down to the Gunnison River.
I say this because there’s nothing quite like standing at the bottom of Long Draw and looking up to truly experience why the National Park bears the name "Black Canyon."
For context, Long Draw is a steep Class 3 route filled with a lot of scree that leads down to The Narrows within Black Canyon of the Gunnison, which is why this corridor along the Gunnison River is almost always shaded.
This shade, clocking in at only 33 minutes of sunlight reaching the river in The Narrows per day, is why the park is called "Black Canyon," and no other area within the National Park reflects these long dark shadows as prominently as Long Draw.
This is all without mentioning that using the word 'trail' to describe any of the seven routes into Black Canyon is a bit of a loose description, and the same sentiment holds true for the Long Draw Trail.
That being said, Long Draw, along with all seven other routes, doesn’t follow a trail in the traditional sense, but rather, a steep gully that descends constantly from the rim to the river.
This is all to say there are essentially no breaks, whether on the hike in or out, which has to be done in one day, as there are no overnight wilderness permits issued for Long Draw.
Long Draw Trailhead Parking
Parking for Long Draw is located either at Balanced Rock View or alongside the horseshoe on North Rim Road, where the Long Draw Trail begins.
Personally, I recommend parking along the road, as the walk to and from Balanced Rock will add an unnecessary 0.3 miles (0.5 km) each way.
However, if you want to know what you’re getting into before beginning the hike, I recommend walking out to the viewpoint at Balanced Rock, as this overlook offers the best view of the entire Long Draw Route from above!
Google Maps Directions: Long Draw Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Black Canyon
Black bears are known to be found everywhere from the plateaus along the canyon rim to the steep routes that lead down to the Gunnison River, and everywhere in between.
That being said, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
Hiking the Long Draw Trail
The beginning of Long Draw is a bit inconspicuous and unmarked until you see the wilderness sign just below the canyon rim.
Before arriving, know that wilderness permits are required to hike down Long Draw or any route into Black Canyon, which is mostly due to safety and accountability concerns, given the steep trail’s inherent risks and difficulty.
That being said, permits are free and can be self-filled at the North Rim Ranger Station upon entering the National Park.
Once on the Long Draw Trail, there is truly not much to note, except how exceptionally steep the route is!
I continue to mention this because it is just that significant, and 1,600 ft. (488 m) of elevation change in just 0.6 miles (1.0 km) will reflect this!
It’s also important to note that on Long Draw, and others like Slide Draw, helmets should be considered mandatory because the route is just that steep and the rock is just that loose!
While it can be easy enough to space yourself appropriately from others in your group, the same can’t be said if there are others in the gully, as rockfall is notorious on Long Draw!
Some of these sections in the middle of Long Draw had the steepest ledges, while the lower elevations were filled with more scree than anything else.
As I’m sure these photos make obvious, shade is minimal in Long Draw when the sun is directly overhead.
For this reason, I highly recommend wearing a hooded sun shirt when hiking this and many other trails in Black Canyon.
In all honesty, I probably should have had sturdier shoes in Long Draw, but if you are interested in checking out my favorite pair of trail runners/ approach shoes, click the link below!
This is the steepest of all the ledges, and you can see that previous hikers have built up rocks at the base in order to get up and down more easily.
Toward the bottom half of Long Draw, scree really starts to take over, and often, controlled sliding is the name of the game!
This is also to say, again, that helmets are a must here, and appropriate spacing is generally required to keep those lower than yourself safe!
For this reason, I recommend asking the rangers at the North Rim Ranger Station or checking the inner canyon registration board to see if you should expect to see others on the route on your particular day.
Turning around will almost always make the hike back up look intimidating!
In my opinion, some of these dirt sections are the trickiest to navigate, as they can be particularly difficult to keep your footing when everything slides beneath your weight.
These photos show the view looking back up some of the looser sections in the Long Draw gully.
As Long Draw nears the Gunnison River, the trail has always, in my two experiences, transitioned back into the shadows, as this is the Black Canyon’s narrowest corridor.
It’s also important to note that Poison Ivy is abundant at the bottom of Long Draw, so try to get a visual of what’s below you before making your way down any steep sections, as it can be difficult to notice from above.
This plant on the left-hand side of the photo below is, again, Poison Ivy.
Gunnison River (The Narrows)
When Long Draw reaches the Gunnison River, there are only about 0.25 miles (0.4 km) along the banks that hikers can explore, which is exactly why there are no overnight permits available for Long Draw.
In fact, hiking up and down the river mostly involves scrambling, as even a trail in these parts is hard to come by.
That said, what The Narrows lacks in terms of places to explore, it makes up for in beauty, as Long Draw, or more specifically The Narrows, is one of the most stunning corridors within Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
I say this to say, take a moment to look up, do some fishing, explore what you can, and spend time at the bottom of Long Draw, because there truly isn’t another area along the Gunnison River that makes you feel so small!
