Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Montrose County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

The Painted Wall

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2020

1. The Painted Wall Marker

Inscription.

At 2300 feet, Painted Wall is the highest cliff in Colorado. If the Empire State Building stood on the canyon floor, it would reach slightly more than halfway to the top of the cliff.

The patterns that inspired the name Painted Wall were created more than a billion years ago when molten rock was squeezed (intruded) into fractures and joints in the existing rock, then cooled and hardened. Unlike a painting, these patterns are 3-dimensional. If you were to slice off a section of cliff, an entirely different pattern would be revealed.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.

Location. 38° 34.865′ N, 107° 43.095′ W. Marker is in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado, in Montrose County. It can be reached from Painted Wall Trail. Marker is at the Painted Wall scenic overlook, off Rim Drive Road about 3.5 miles NNW of the South Rim Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Montrose CO 81401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this

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marker is in the Western Slope.

It is also in the American Mountain West,

on the Colorado Plateau,

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Early Exploration (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pegmatite Dikes (approx. 2.4 miles away); Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (approx. 2.7 miles away); Light at the End of the Tunnel (approx. 5.3 miles away); Building a Dam (approx. 5.3 miles away); Crawford State Park (approx. 10.3 miles away); West Elk Loop (approx. 10.3 miles away); Crawford (approx. 10.3 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Black Canyon Geology. (Submitted on October 30, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Black Canyon Dimensions. (Submitted on October 30, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)

The Painted Wall Scenic Overlook and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2020

2. The Painted Wall Scenic Overlook and Marker

The Painted Wall image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2020

3. The Painted Wall

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2020

4. The Painted Wall

Gunnison River is visible in the shadow, giving depth to the canyon.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 31, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 462 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 30, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.