Subscribe
Rising 1.2 miles through steep terrain in Glenwood Canyon, the Hanging Lake trail offers a rare combination of natural beauty and accessibility, making it both a treasured destination and a place that required thoughtful care and the partnerships to restore access to beloved location. The trail is one of Colorado’s most beloved hikes, drawing visitors from around the world to experience its turquoise waters, dramatic canyon walls and cascading waterfalls.
Before the fires and flooding, Hanging Lake drew tens of thousands of visitors a year and generated millions of dollars in economic activity for Glenwood Springs and surrounding communities. Losing the trail impacted the town directly, said Glenwood Springs Mayor Marco Dehm.
“The trail itself being closed was devastating," Dehm said. "We felt the impacts of people not coming because of Hanging Lake, and that was felt throughout the community.”
Partners from the Forest Service, National Forest Foundation, Colorado Lottery, Get Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Parks and Wildlife, City of Glenwood Springs and other local contributors spent the next several years rebuilding it, step by step and bridge by bridge, into something meant to hold up against whatever mother nature may bring for the next 100 years. (Forest Service video by Travis Weger)
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2026 16:28 |
| Category: | Video Productions |
| Video ID: | 1016555 |
| VIRIN: | 260618-P-OI330-8378 |
| Filename: | DOD_111867665 |
| Length: | 00:02:34 |
| Location: | GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Downloads: | 0 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Restoring Hanging Lake: The Partnerships That Revitalized a Colorado Icon, by Travis Weger, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
