Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake is located in Glenwood Canyon, about 7 miles east of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It is a one of the most popular hiking destinations in Colorado. When open, the lake is reached via a trailhead located along the Glenwood Canyon Bike and Pedestrian Path that runs along the north side of I-70 in the bottom of the canyon. The trail follows Dead Horse Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River and ascends 1,000 feet in elevation for 1.6 miles from the trailhead to the lake.

Early tales of the discovery of the lake tell of a man searching for gold in the canyon. The man found a dead horse at the opening of a gulch. When he followed the gulch up through the steep hillside through the canyon he came around the backside of the lake. This is how he first saw the small bowl-like basin hanging onto the cliffs below.

In the years following, the area served as a homestead and a private family retreat. After the Taylor Bill passed in 1910 it was purchased by Glenwood Springs. Following the purchase it began its long history as a public tourist stop. Later during the 1940’s it hosted a resort and cafe until the construction of Interstate-70 began in 1968. In 1972, the trail and the lake were returned to the protection of the Forest Service as part of the White River National Forest. It has been an increasingly popular tourist destination since. In 2011, the lake was named a National Natural Landmark by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. – wikipedia

Glenwood Canyon Views

Hanging Lake is one of my favorite places I have had the privilege to visit in Colorado. The walk up Glenwood Canyon to the trailhead via the bike/pedestrian trail alone is absolutely gorgeous in the morning light.

Dead Horse Gulch

At the trailhead, the landscape gets a wee bit steeper. There are seven bridges across Dead Horse Creek as you meander your way up the 1.6 mile extremely rocky path. There are several small riffles and waterfalls along the way to appreciate as you rest along your ascent.

Trail to Hanging Lake along Dead Horse Creek

Hanging Lake

At the top, the reward is magnificent views of Dead Horse Gulch and Hanging Lake.

The fragile shoreline of Hanging Lake is composed of travertine, this occurs when dissolved limestone from the Mississippian Period Leadville Formation (through which Dead Horse Creek flows) deposits on rocks and logs, creating travertine layers.

Hanging Lake is on a fault line; formed when roughly an acre and a half of the valley floor sheared off from the fault and dropped to what is now the shallow bed of the lake. The turquoise color of the lake is due to carbonate minerals that have dissolved in the water. – wikipedia

This natural wonder has closed multiple times due to vandalism. I cannot fathom why anyone would want to deface such natural beauty.

Spouting Rock

After viewing the natural beauty of Hanging Lake; on your way back, be sure to take the trail in the other direction and check out a waterfall spouting directly from the face of a cliff. The shallow cave beneath the water fall was created by erosion form the back-splash of the waterfall. The area surrounding the runoff from the waterfall is aid to have a magical/mystical charm.

Be sure to be extra careful on your way back down the trail. Rock can be loose and slippery.

EXTRA

BAIR RANCH

High Canyon Adventures and Bair Ranch offer an authentic Western Colorado ranch experience for families and groups. Bair Ranch is one of the oldest family-owned and operated working ranches in Colorado. The Ranch is located 12 miles east of Glenwood Springs, making it easily accessible from both Aspen and Vail.

Roaring Fork Valley

The Roaring Fork Valley is a geographical region in western Colorado in the United States. The Roaring Fork Valley is one of the most affluent regions in Colorado and the U.S. It is one of the most populous and economically vital areas of the Colorado Western Slope. The Valley is defined by the valley of the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries, including the Crystal and Fryingpan River. It includes the communities of Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs.

Set between cascading groves of Aspen trees in the White River National Forest and striking canyon walls, Bair Ranch is no doubt one of the most breathtaking places in Glenwood Springs. ~glenwoodadventure.com

Bair Ranch offers some terrific horseback riding opportunities. Cyndie and I went on a the Glenwood Canyon 2 Hour Horseback Ride.

Two hours in the saddle is the ideal way to enjoy the majestic Western Colorado Rocky Mountains. From the stables at ranch headquarters you will climb in elevation. You will cross a natural mesa meadow which provides opportunities to overlook the Colorado River and Glenwood Canyon. As you leave the meadow and continue to ascend, the mountain trail vistas of the Glenwood Canyon expand as the Colorado River snakes lazily through the canyon floor. ~highcayon.com

Our guide was wonderful, the horses gentle and the views were amazing. There was one other couple scheduled for the ride. After waiting a bit, the other couple didn’t show. We had the whole trail to ourselves. Here are some photos from the ride. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting the area.