Hanging Lake Trail - Hiking trail near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States - Description

This short, steep, scenic trail travels from the bottom of Glenwood Canyon up through Deadhorse Creek Canyon to Hanging Lake. Switchbacks accommodate the rise in elevation, shortcutting them promotes erosion. There are several rest stops along the way. Some parts of the trail are rocky, especially in the beginning and at the end where the trail has steep stairs carved into the canyon cliff rock. The trail ends on a boardwalk around the lake. This travertine lake is extremely sensitive, so special regulation apply. Please do not step off the boardwalk. There is a short offshoot from the trail before the boardwalk that leads to Spouting Rock, where for centuries water has dissolved a passage through the limestone to exit out of a sheer cliff wall as a spectacular waterfall. This provides an excellent opportunity to cool off in the spray after the strenuous hike!

Travel 22 miles west of Eagle on I-70 to the Grizzly Creek exit in Glenwood Canyon. After exiting, get back on the highway going eastbound to the Hanging Lake exit. The trail begins 1/4 mile east of the rest area on the left just before the bridge.