Famous Hanging Lake trail is closed for the winter, but should reopen next summer
The trail can be even more beautiful in the winter than it is in the summer, turning the famous waterfalls at the lake into icicles.
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The famous Hanging Lake Trail in Glenwood Canyon will be closed for the winter, but White River National Forest officials say the trail reconstruction project they began in May should be completed by next summer.
“The trail looks amazing with significant stonework completed, including rock steps and retaining walls,” Eagle-Holy Cross district ranger Leanne Veldhuis said in a news release. “With the new bridges still needing to be stabilized and the final climb to the lake still under construction, we will keep the trail closed through the winter for public safety.”
The trail can be even more beautiful in the winter than it is in the summer, turning the famous waterfalls at the lake into icicles. And, unlike other seasons of the year, trail reservations are not required during the winter.
The trail was open intermittently this past summer when construction activity allowed for it. The materials for replacing seven bridges were transported to the trail by helicopters last month, and construction will resume in the spring when snow cover is not an impediment. The bridges need to be finished and a boardwalk will be constructed at Spouting Rock above the lake.
The trail sustained serious damage from a series of debris flows in 2021 that were associated with burn scars from the Grizzly Creek wildfire of 2020. A temporary trail was reopened in 2022, which was followed by a more elaborate modernization reconstruction this year.
