Spring Hike to Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake is one of the popular hiking destinations in Colorado. I have heard people complained about the difficulty on finding a parking spot on the trail-head during the peak season. So it is nice that we got to go before the peak season.

Hanging Lake is in Glenwood Springs and it is about 3 hours away from Metro Denver. The way to get to the trail head is a bit tricky if you drive on I-70 west bound. You will need to exit on 121 on I-70 then go back to I-70 East bound for another 4 miles (exit 125). The good thing is you can definitely find the detail direction on Google maps and the signs on I70 are pretty easy to follow.  Do keep in mind that there is no food/service available within at least 10-20 miles before getting there. So if you want to feed yourself up or get any supplies before the hike, do so in Vail.

There is a very nice facility with restrooms and drinking water fountains by the parking lot. You will see Colorado River and Glenwood Canyon on the right.

Colorado River

After walking a few hundred yards on the well maintained concrete road, the trail starts becoming very rocky. From here, the distance to get to hanging lake is 1.2 miles and the trail is considered as ‘Difficult’. Although I saw quite a few babies/kids on the trail, I don’t really think it is a kid-friendly trail.

On the Trail

Stream

Like most of the trails in Colorado, once we got on the trail, we started climbing right away. We had to stop often to catch the breathe and to drink water on the first ¼ mile. Bringing lots of the water is an good idea, especially when the temperature is high.  The trail condition was fine except for some icy spots here and there but overall, it was pretty easy to walk on. The last snow we had was about two weeks ago and the weather had been pretty warm since then. Many snows were melted so we could hear the streams running over the rocks and the water was crystal clear.  We even found a school of fish in the small pond.

Fish

After the ¾ mile sign, the trail became pretty slippery. Ouch, someone fell…it must be painful! I would definitely recommend wearing the hiking boots and better to put on the shoes traction device. Between bridge 6 and bridge 7, the trail was covered by a snow hill. Going up wasn’t too bad by stepping into other people’s footsteps.  But on the way back, it was quite difficult to prevent myself from sliding. Someone made a very narrow "tunnel" so both hands can hold on the snow. The biggest challenge was stopping after passing the "tunnel". Good that I got a hand from two gentlemen. I had to say that was also the most fun part since you don’t get to experience that very often.

Trail covered by snow

The snow "tunnel" 

More snow on the trail

It took us about 1.5 hours to get to the lake. The lake is green and peaceful.  The dead trees /branches under the mirror-like surface and the fish swimming in the water make the lake alive.  The amazing view is definitely worth the effort of the hike although I know it will be even more beautiful in Summer. 

Glenwood Canyon

The last a few steps to the lake

Hanging Lake

After the hike, we went to downtown Glenwood Springs for Dinner and the famous hot springs pool. It is about 10 minutes driving from Hang Lake parking lot. The restaurant we went is called Italian Underground. Food was great no wonder there were always people waiting for a table.  The hot springs pool is a must-visit spot in Glenwood Springs and it costs 14.95 dollars for a daily admission per adult. It opens until 10pm and the price after 9pm is 7.45 dollars. The price and business hours may vary with the season.

It was a great day that combines everything I enjoy!