Hiking reservations for iconic Hanging Lake available Monday
The stunning 1.2-mile trail underwent a major reconstruction project last summer.
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Reservations for hiking the iconic Hanging Lake trail in Glenwood Canyon will become available on Monday, March 17, for trips beginning in July.
The stunning 1.2-mile trail in Dead Horse Canyon, which climbs 1,200 feet to a picturesque lake fed by waterfalls, underwent a major reconstruction project last summer with work left to be finished this spring. Crews need to complete trail work, assemble seven bridges over Dead Horse Creek and build a boardwalk at Spouting Rock, which is a short hike above the lake.
The trail was open off and on last summer during construction. Lisa Langer, tourism director for Visit Glenwood Springs, got to preview the lower part of trail last fall.
“The first part is so nice now,” Langer said. “They’ve levelled off things and made smaller steps. It’s much more manageable, especially for people that maybe have knee issues and things. It’s lovely.”
Project managers expect most of the work to be finished by July 1, the first day for which reservations will be available starting Monday at 8 a.m.
The trail was severely damaged by the Grizzly Creek wildfire in 2020 and subsequent burn-scar debris flows caused by torrential rains in 2021. Officials of the White River National Forest decided to do more than repair the trail, opting to modernize it by making it more user-friendly and better able to withstand runoff from summer downpours.
“It’s much more stable than it was,” Langer said.
The trail is currently closed. Because the progress of construction is dependent on when the trail is clear of snow and ice, the boardwalk at Spouting Rock may not be finished when the trail opens on July 1. “It just depends on the weather,” Langer said.
Reservations will cost $12 per person and will be available through the Visit Glenwood website. Trail reconstruction was funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Lottery, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the National Forest Foundation, city of Glenwood Springs and the U.S. Forest Service.
