Hanging Lake Trail

Hanging Lake is a turquoise pool on a travertine shelf 1,000 feet above Glenwood Canyon, fed by Spouting Rock, a waterfall that pours out of a hole in the cliff. It is one of the most photographed places in Colorado, a National Natural Landmark, and a fragile one: the travertine that holds the lake in place cannot take foot traffic, which is why the rules are strict and access is by reservation.

The trail is short and steep, 1.2 miles each way with 1,200 feet of gain on a rocky path up Dead Horse Creek. It was rebuilt after the 2020 Grizzly Creek Fire and the debris flows of 2021 tore out bridges and sections of trail.

From the trailhead in Glenwood Canyon, a paved path follows the Colorado River a short way to the mouth of Dead Horse Creek. The real trail starts there and climbs the narrow side canyon, crossing the creek repeatedly on bridges, with numbered rest benches marking progress. The footing is rock and root and the grade is relentless.

The last stretch is a set of stone steps cut into the cliff with a handrail, exposed enough that people with vertigo notice it. The trail tops out at the boardwalk that rings the lake. Do not leave the boardwalk, do not touch the water, and do not walk on the log in the lake. A short spur beyond the lake climbs to Spouting Rock, where you can stand behind the waterfall; it is the better photo and most people skip it.

Access is by permit only, year-round. From May through October, permits are tied to a shuttle from the Hanging Lake Welcome Center in Glenwood Springs, booked online at the city's Hanging Lake reservation site with a per-person fee; you cannot drive to the trailhead in season. In the off-season, the permit lets you park at the Hanging Lake exit on I-70 itself, which is accessible only from the eastbound lanes. Reservations for summer weekends go weeks ahead. The trailhead has toilets and no water.

No dogs, no swimming, no wading, no fishing, no drones, and rangers at the lake enforce all of it. Kids can do the climb if they are steady on rock, but the exposed steps near the top and the strict boardwalk rules make it a better trip for school-age children than toddlers. Bring more water than 1.2 miles suggests; the canyon holds heat. Poles help on the descent. The travertine shelf that holds the lake is thin, and the log that photographers used to stand on is off limits for a reason. Glenwood Springs has every service, and the Glenwood hikes page covers Grizzly Creek, two miles east, which needs no permit.