Colorado’s Hidden Gem: Hanging lake

Somewhere in the mountains of Colorado near Glenwood Springs sits the unusual Hanging Lake. A small hike which takes you through the forest to Hanging Lake. The 1.2 miles (1.9 km) trail is steep and rigorous, but rewarding once you see the natural beauty that awaits you at the top. Click here for the trail map.

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Depending on your pace, it may take you anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and a half to get to the top. The reward at the end of this hike is well worth it; 2 waterfalls which await you are Hanging Lake and Spouting Rock Falls. There are seven bridges on your journey up to Hanging Lake. Most of the hike is in the shade of towering trees and mountain and you’ll find several benches and rocks where you can stop and rest. Close to the one-mile point, you’ll climb a steep staircase of rock complete with handrails. It’s a sheer drop on the other side of the handrail. At the top of the stairs follow the path about 100 yards to the wondrous Hanging Lake.

On the way, just before Hanging Lake, you’ll notice a sign to Spouting Rock. You absolutely must hike this short 5 mins to this Spouting Rock Waterfall hidden behind Hanging Lake. You can even go beneath the Sprouting Rock Waterfall for some amazing pics.

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Hanging Lake was open for everyone but Starting May 1, 2019, a permit is now required to visit Hanging Lake and can only be reached by Hanging Lake Shuttle. We did not know this and only realized after reaching Glenwood Springs. If you don’t have a permit and they can put you in the stand-by queue and if someone is unable to make they send clear the stand-by queue. We were 25th and 26th in the queue and were able to make it after one and a half hour wait. Make sure to get a permit from https://www.visitglenwood.com/hanginglake/ before visiting Hanging Lake. In case you forget just go to their visitor centre at 110 Wulfsohn Road, Glenwood Springs and you should be able to get a place after some wait.

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A post shared by Amoul Singhi (@singhiamoul) on Jul 15, 2019 at 11:40pm PDT