Black Canyon of the Gunnison Engagement

One of the main reasons we decided to move to Colorado 16 years ago was the state’s natural beauty. We’re also huge fans of national parks and Colorado is home to four of the coolest national parks in the U.S. While we have been fortunate to spend time in all four of them, Amelia and Jeff’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison engagement session was the first time we actually had the chance to bring our cameras to Colorado’s “little Grand Canyon.” And what a treat it was.

Established somewhat recently in 1999, this 30,000-acre parcel of high desert on the western slope of Colorado is a true hidden gem. It has just about everything the Grand Canyon has to offer, but without the crowds.

We started the day with Amelia and Jeff by driving down East Portal Road to the bottom of the canyon, where we did a short hike along the Gunnison River, complete with a black bear sighting. Note to all hikers and tourists out there: keep a safe distance from bears, and from all wildlife for that matter. The photo below was taken from over 100 yards away with a telephoto lens. And if a bear exhibits aggressive behavior and/or is with their young, calmly evacuate the area immediately.

After hiking the river, we drove along the rim of the canyon and stopped at a few key points along the way to take photos with the couple. Afterward, we took a food and drink break while waiting for the Milky Way to show itself, which made for the perfect end to Amelia and Jeff’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison engagement.