The Hanging Lake trailhead for hikers has been reopened after a two-week closure due to a mudslide that ran across an access road in Glenwood Canyon.
Debris from the mudslide that occurred on May 2 has been cleared and repairs were made in hopes of preventing another flow across the road. The slide did not affect the trail or the lake itself, but the access road was impassable. Hanging Lake is one of Colorado’s most iconic hiking destinations.
“This has been an extremely busy spring for the Colorado Department of Transportation, and we are grateful for their hard work to reopen the Hanging Lake exit,” Eagle-Holy Cross district ranger Leanne Veldhuis said in a news release issued by the White River National Forest that announced the reopening, which occurred Wednesday.
Visitors are reminded that reservations are required to hike the trailhead and are available through visitglenwood.com.
“With spring run-off continuing along the Hanging Lake trail and throughout the White River National Forest, hikers are urged to be alert for the potential of falling rocks and other debris, and to be extremely careful around flowing water,” the news release warned.
Hillsides in Glenwood have been unusually susceptible to mudslides since the Grizzly Creek wildfire in 2020. CDOT temporarily closes Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon whenever heavy rains are forecast.
