Iconic Hanging Lake Trail now fully restored - and improved. * by NATHAN DEAL [email protected] * jun 21, 2026 updated jun 22, 2026 * 4 min to read. When the Grizzly Creek Fire raged through the Glenwood Canyon in 2020, an iconic and beloved oasis was miraculously spared from the inferno. However, the path to that oasis was not so fortunate, and flooding the following year only exacerbated its woes. Efforts to restore the Hanging Lake Trail have spanned the 2020s. In the spring of 2024, a $4.7 million complete reconstruction project launched to expand access to the trail to pre-2020 levels, with everyone involved targeting June 18, 2026, as the date to unveil the final product to the public. That day finally arrived, with the Hanging Lake Trail restored to its former glory - and beyond. "There was no simple path forward. What followed was years of planning, collaboration, investment, hard work and conversation. An extraordinary coalition came together not just to restore the damaged Hanging Lake Trail but to rebuild it for the next century and create a more resilient trail designed to withstand future challenges while preserving future access to one of Colorado's most beloved trails," said Dieter Fenkart-Froeschl, the president and CEO of the National Forest Foundation, during the Hanging Lake Trail Restoration Ribbon Cutting celebration near the trailhead. "In many ways, the Hanging Lake Trail Restoration Project now serves as a model for what is possible across the National Forest system." The effort brought together the U.S. Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation, the City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and more organizations. Funding came partially from Forest Service appropriations, a CPW grant, and more than 6,000 visitors who donated their canceled reservation fees to the restoration. "People travel from around the world to experience places like this, but outdoor recreation is about far more than adventure or escape. It's how people build relationships with the natural world," Fenkart-Froeschl said. "Conservation succeeds when it becomes part of the culture. People protect what they love, and they love what they know." Additionally, the Colorado Lottery awarded $2.53 million to the effort through GOCO, a transformational Starburst Award that propelled the reconstruction. From there, H2O Ventures and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) served as operational partners; DHM Design, ContourLogic and JVA Consulting Engineers designed the new vision for the Hanging Lake Trail; and NorTerra crafted the trail. "Hanging Lake really reminds us of what stewardship really means: caring for a place not just for today but for future generations who deserve to feel the same sense of wonder and awe when they get to experience Hanging Lake for the first time," said GOCO Executive Director Jackie Miller. "Years from now, most visitors won't know the full story of what it took to reopen Hanging Lake; they'll simply experience the turquoise water, waterfalls and sense of wonder at the end of the trail. That's exactly the point." Seven bridges trail. As part of the event, The Daily Sentinel was invited to hike the trail, which had been open to the public in a limited capacity for several years but can now be considered completed. The first noticeable difference is at the trailhead, which has been transformed with a pergola, visitor information signage, and a picnic area beside a babbling brook. The project called for a major increase in stone steps compared to the old trail, placed to protect the landscape in the long term. Stonemason Dave Lewis constructed 1,289 steps that take hikers up the 1.5-mile trail with more than 1,000 feet in elevation gain. To make these stairs, about 325 tons of stone were moved by hand. As hikers make their way up the trail, they cross seven bridges. All of these bridges are new, replacing the bridges damaged in 2020 and 2021. There was also an emergency defibrillator kit nailed to a tree. Near the top of the trail, where the stone stairs become steeper, new railing was installed on both sides, making the section safer and more secure. Above Hanging Lake at Spouting Rock, a new boardwalk was built, providing more ways to view the waterfall that flows out of the cliffside and feeds Hanging Lake. Visitors can still walk behind the waterfall, as well. As beautiful as ever. For all of the changes to the trail up to the lake as well as the area above the lake, Hanging Lake itself has maintained its untouched, serene quality. Its clear, turquoise water, with sunlight glistening upon the gentle waves, provides an idyllic home for trout, robins, butterflies, marmots and snakes, all of which were spotted on the tour. Prior to 2020, Hanging Lake welcomed more than 72,000 visitors annually and generated $4.6 million annually to the Glenwood Springs-area economy. This restoration event brought in invited guests from around the state, including one family who departed Pueblo at 4 a.m. to travel to the Western Slope and hike the trail. That's for good reason, as Hanging Lake remains one of the most singularly distinct places in all of Colorado, enchanting all who are willing to make the trek. "The story of Hanging Lake is a remarkable one. Indigenous peoples knew this landscape long before it was documented in the late 1800s by miners exploring Glenwood Canyon. This extraordinary geological wonder quickly became known for its turquoise waters, cascading waterfalls and rare ecosystem perched high above the canyon floor. What began as a hidden gem quickly became one of Colorado's most treasured destinations," said Glenwood Springs Mayor Marco Dehm. "We do not own places like Hanging Lake. We are merely stewards of them."

What is the Roadless Rule and why are Californians rallying to protect National Forests? The Roadless Rule protects nearly 58.5 million acres of America's national forests - including some of California's most beloved backcountry - from fragmentation and mismanaged timber harvesting. Adopted in 2001 after one of the largest public comment processes in U.S. history, the rule remains one of the nation's most popular forest conservation measures. When implemented, more than 95% of the 1.6 million comments collected spoke in favor of this rule that helps ensure habitat connectivity, clean water, and outstanding recreational opportunities in its national forests. Despite its broad public support, the Trump administration has not only kickstarted a process to rescind the Roadless Rule, but Representative Hageman (R-WY) introduced a Roadless Rule-Killing bill in the House, while Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced an effort to overturn the Rule in the Senate by tacking an amendment onto a wildfire bill. These shady backdoor policy efforts subvert normal process and public involvement to jam through unpopular legislation that could open millions of acres of national forest to new road construction, logging, and other development. In response, CalWild and partners have been hosting Roadless Rule events, including town halls and rallies, across California to help people understand what's at stake and how they can speak up for the forests they love. Eight+ events have already taken place - from Orange County and Los Angeles to Ojai, Rocklin, and Lake Tahoe - bringing together hikers, mountain bikers, hunters, anglers, scientists, business owners, and community members united by one goal: protecting California's roadless forests. Katelyn Welsh / Tahoe Daily Tribune The Lake Tahoe region illustrates why these protections matter. More than 80,000 acres of roadless lands remain on the Tahoe National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, including areas surrounding Zephyr Cove, Rubicon Bay, and lands adjacent to the Mount Rose Wilderness. It's no surprise, then, that roughly 80 community members attended a recent Lake Tahoe Roadless Rule town hall, an event covered by NPR and Tahoe Daily Tribune. Speakers highlighted the many ways Californians benefit from roadless areas in forests. Panelist Jessica Smith with Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) said, "Mountain bikers are drawn to wild spaces for the challenge, wonder, and the quiet that only remote landscapes can provide. The roadless rule ensures that some of these landscapes remain largely undeveloped." Anthony Cupaiuolo with Tahoe Backcountry Alliance pointed out that areas protected under the Roadless Rule create the experiences that attract people to public lands in the first place. Roadless areas also help protect one of California's most important resources: clean water. "If not properly managed, roads can be the most significant cause of erosion and transport of sediments into streams and rivers on forest service land," said retired Forest Service hydrologist Susan Norman with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Fires are another cause for concern. Building new roads into wild areas increases the likelihood of human-caused ignitions. According to ecologist from the U.S Forest Service, nearly two thirds of human-caused fires occur along roadsides in the area within the Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres, and Cleveland National Forests. In recent years, the Caldor, Dixie, and Mosquito Fires each began near road corridors. Santa Barbara Town Hall, Andre Sanchez Its Rocklin town hall press release quotes Gregory H. Aplet, PhD, Senior Forest Scientist at The Wilderness Society who says, "By their very nature, roadless areas are remote and inaccessible and experience far fewer ignitions than lands near roads. Opening roadless areas to logging and road construction will only increase the number of fires, not reduce them." Finally, California's wildlife also depends on Roadless areas. Its national forests are some of the most biodiverse and visited in the country. These largely undeveloped forests provide critical habitat and migration corridors for more than 200 threatened, proposed, sensitive or endangered species of wildlife, including imperiled species like the Pacific fisher, California spotted owl, and Sierra Nevada red fox. California's roadless forests belong to all of CalWild. If you want to help protect the places that provide clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, and world-class recreation, join CalWild at an upcoming Roadless Rule town hall. Join CalWild in San Luis Obispo June 24 from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm at OddFellows Hall or stay tuned for more locations near you.