GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — Staring this weekend, hikers will once again be able to hike to what is widely considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the state.
A temporary trail to Hanging Lake will open Saturday. The steep 1.2-mile trail has been closed since July 2021 due to damage sustained after multiple mudslides in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar.
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Gov. Jared Polis and other officials held a ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening on Friday morning.
Timed reservations will still be required to hike the trail during its busy season.
There will be 615 reservations available per day. Visit Glenwood said there will no shuttle this year, so hikers will have to drive themselves and park in the Hanging Lake rest area.
The Grizzly Creek Fire started Aug. 10, 2020, in the canyon east of Glenwood Springs and burned more than 30,000 acres. The lake itself was spared, but the areas around it in the White River National Forest were burned.
Officials said in August that the trail had "extreme damage" and would require complete reconstruction.
2021 Hanging Lake Trail damage
Jamie Werner, White River National Forest Stewardship Coordinator with the National Forest Foundation, said in May the repairs to safely reopen the trail this summer are temporary while they work on the permanent trail.
"We are in the process of starting the longer-term sustainable trail to Hanging Lake that will last for decades to come," Werner said at the time. "The design phase of that process will start later this summer, and we’ll be looking at trail alignment, trail user experience and trail materials to make it as sturdy as possible."
Located in Glenwood Canyon, Hanging Lake is one of Colorado's most popular tourist destinations.
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