Hanging Lake

The lake sits on a shelf that broke away from the canyon wall along a fault and tilted, and the water is turquoise because it is saturated with dissolved carbonate - travertine precipitates out and builds the rim, which is why the lake holds at all and why the deposits are extremely fragile. Nothing may enter the water. The trail is about two kilometres with roughly three hundred metres of climb over loose rock. Access has been repeatedly interrupted: the 2020 Grizzly Creek Fire burned the watershed, and the debris flows that followed in 2021 destroyed sections of trail and the access road, closing it for extended periods. A permit and shuttle system now governs entry and the details have changed several times.

The landscape

• A travertine-rimmed lake - the deposits building the rim that holds it.
• Turquoise water - from dissolved carbonate.
• A steep two-kilometre climb - about three hundred metres of ascent.
• Fire and debris flow damage - which has closed it repeatedly since 2020.

When to go

May to October, subject to permits and closures. Half a day.

What to expect

Access rules have changed repeatedly since the 2020 fire - confirm the current system before travelling. Entering the water is prohibited and enforced. The trail is steep and rocky, not a stroll. Permits are limited and sell out.

Nearby

Glenwood Springs is west; the canyon bike path runs below.

Key facts