Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
Hike Uplands Trail - South Rim
moderate Wildlife WatchersFamiliesCasual Walkers
0.9 mi Distance
Varies Estimated Time
roundtrip Trail Type
What to Expect
The Uplands Trail is the quiet middle act between two louder headliners — a short connector through the mesa-top shrublands that most visitors walk right past on their way to the canyon rim. That's their loss. The path winds through a dense mix of Gambel oak, big sagebrush, and Utah serviceberry, the kind of high-desert scrub that smells incredible after a summer rain. Underfoot it's well-maintained and relatively level, earning its wheelchair-accessible designation without sacrificing any sense of being genuinely out there. To the west, the snow-capped bulk of the West Elk Mountains fills the skyline — a view you don't get standing at the rim staring straight down. Wildlife treats this corridor as a commute: deer, mule deer, and a rotating cast of songbirds are regular presences. This trail rewards patient, unhurried walkers who find as much satisfaction in a fresh set of tracks in the dust as in a canyon overlook.
Trail Details
Distance 0.9 miles round-trip
Difficulty moderate
Estimated Time Varies
Trail Type roundtrip
Pets Not allowed
Season Year-round
Trailhead Hike Uplands Trail - South Rim
- 1
Use this trail as the quiet leg of a longer loop — start at the Rim Rock trailhead near the campground, walk the Uplands connector, then pick up the Oak Flat Loop to the south. You get three distinct ecosystems in one outing without backtracking.
- 2
Arrive before 7am or within the last hour before sunset — the upland shrubs are thick enough that wildlife moves through freely when foot traffic drops, and the low-angle light makes the West Elk Mountains look like a different landscape entirely.
- 3
Crouch down and scan the soft soil along the trail edges for tracks: mule deer, coyote, and wild turkey all pass through regularly. Early morning after a dewy night leaves the best impressions.
Photos
NPS Photo
