Today, we had an exciting opportunity to hike the very popular Hanging Lake Trail. Use of the trail is currently by reservation only and we were lucky enough to snag one of the 600+ spots for the day. Our time slot was for 3:30 so I was a little worried about afternoon storms. However, no storms were expected for the day. We started out at the Hanging Lake Rest Area just off of Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon. Another bit of luck, the canyon had been closed to traffic due to mudslides for a few of the previous days. No such closure today! The hike begins on a paved bicycle path that parallels the Colorado River.
Once you leave the bicycle path, the ascent get steep quickly!
Luckily, there are plenty of benches along the way to stop and take a rest.
At the wide spots of trail along the way there are interesting signs that encourage using the wide spots as "passing zones".
Soon, the trail passes alongside a stream with lots of travertine formations and little cascades.
There is an old CCC-built trail shelter along the way. It is now off-limits to use.
The section of trail as you approach Hanging Lake is very steep with lots of great views looking down canyon from where we had come.
After the steep climb, we found ourselves overlooking the famous Hanging Lake with Bridal Veil Falls cascading into its clear waters.
We enjoyed the view of the lake from a bench before taking the short but steep side trip up to the Spouting Rock waterfall.
A couple of rare plants grow there, including a very pretty species of columbine.
After enjoying Spouting Rock for a few minutes, we made our way back down to Hanging Lake.
I headed back to the lake for one last view
before we started our descent back to the car. As we made our way along the bicycle path section of trail,
We spotted a marmot among the rocks that lined the trail.
Update of August 3, 2021:
We were really, really lucky to get to Hanging Lake when we did. Extreme mudslides have closed Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon for the foreseeable future. With the interstate closed, all access to the lake is also closed. Perhaps even more concerning is the way Hanging Lake looks today. See the video embedded below:
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