Hiking to Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs

The trail to Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon may be one of the most popular hikes for families and people of all ages in Colorado. There are three good reasons: The trail is short, the lake and its waterfalls are beautiful, and there's even a bonus waterfall shooting out of a nearby rockwall.

The problem? There are a couple.

1. Most people don't know there's 1,000 feet of elevation gain in that one-mile hike. While many families hike this trail, others turn around every day because they are surprised at how hard the hike is.

2. I think the 1 mile measurement is off. My GPS registered the trail at being at least 1.1 miles each way, likely more when you add the side trail to the Spouting Rock waterfall.

3. While the HANGING LAKE TRAIL may only be a mile or so, you have to walk almost a half mile from the parking lot to the trailhead, making the hike about 3.2 miles or so roundtrip.

4. The hike starts at an elevation of about 6,100 feet. If you're coming from sea level, that makes the hike even harder.

Now that we have the bad stuff out of the way, this is a MUST DO hike. Hanging Lake is a beautiful, peaceful, scenic place with several waterfalls cascading into the bright turquoise lake.

The trail starts at the Hanging Lake parking lot off I-70 in Glenwood Canyon. But, if you're driving westbound, there is no exit. You'll have to drive to the Grizzly Creek exit, turn around and take I-70 eastbound to get to Hanging Lake.

In the parking lot you'll find bathrooms, a water fountain and signs about Glenwood Canyon. Take the flat, paved bike trail about .4 mile to the Hanging Lake trailhead. Signs at the trailhead explain that Hanging Lake was a Glenwood Springs city park from 1924 to 1972. Then the city deeded the land to the Forest Service. At one point in history visitors rode horses to the lake; not anymore.

The trail follows the creek up to Hanging Lake. The trail can be quite rocky and steep at times, but the scenery is wonderful. Hikers are in the forest with many a beautiful cascade along the trail. There are so many bridges over the creek that they're actually numbered. Get the kids to count along.

There are also markers along the trail letting hikers know when they've hiked 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile and 3/4 miles. You'll know you're near the top when you see the steep staircase and brown metal railings to hold onto. This section can be tough if you're afraid of heights, but the lake is worth those last few steep steps.

At the top, a boardwalk (replaced in summer 2010) leads hikers to the uniquely colored Hanging Lake.The 1.5-acre limestone lake is a mix of blue, green and turquoise. A sign at a trailhead says the lake was formed by a geologic fault which caused the lake bed to drop away from the valley floor above it. The lake edge was created by dissolved minerals in the water.

While Hanging Lake is a beautiful place for lunch and photographs, there's one more treat. As you leave the lake, just before you start down the rocky staircase, take the dirt social trail to Spouting Rock. There may be a sign at the turn-off, there may not.

Spouting Rock is a unique waterfall that shoots out of a rock face. Try standing under the water for an ice-cold bath or just enjoying taking pictures. While some people fill up their water bottles here, it is never a good idea to drink untreated water.

After you've spent some time enjoying the waterfall, hike back down the trail.

Details: About 3.4 miles roundtrip with 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

Directions: Take I-70 to Glenwood Canyon. If driving westbound, take exit 121 at Grizzly Creek and return to I-70 eastbound to take the Hanging Lake exit. If driving eastbound, take the Hanging Lake exit.

In Glenwood Springs, we also hiked to Doc Holliday's grave and hiked the Storm King Memorial Trail. Check out more of my hikes in Colorado here.

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