The steep, rocky trail to the blue-green water of Hanging Lake isn’t expected to open until July 1, but the reservation system for required permits will open at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. At $12 per person, permits give visitors three hours to complete the trail.
The City of Glenwood Springs said the 1.2-mile trail should be open as normal this summer, after years of closures due to damage that began in 2021. The same debris flows stemming from the Grizzly Creek fire that closed I-70 made the trail impassible for long stretches, and a temporary path was put in place.
The most recent closures began in May 2024, giving crews time to make repairs and improvements to the trail, as well as replace all seven bridges that cross Deadhorse Creek. The public was only able to hike to the lake intermittently this past summer and not at all this winter.
One of Colorado’s most popular natural wonders, Hanging Lake is famous for its long, crystal waterfalls plunging into a jewel of a blue-green lake. For years, the Hanging Lake trail became so mobbed by visitors that it was being damaged. Rangers with the U.S. Forest Service tell stories of would-be hikers having fist-fights in the parking lot over spaces. In 2021, a reservation system started to help manage the crowds.
The reconstruction project is funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, Colorado Lottery, Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Trails Program, the National Forest Foundation, the City of Glenwood Springs, and the USDA Forest Service.
