When the Grizzly Creek Fire raged through the Glenwood Canyon in 2020, an iconic and beloved oasis was miraculously spared from the inferno. However, the path to that oasis was not so fortunate, and flooding the following year only exacerbated its woes.
Efforts to restore the Hanging Lake Trail have spanned the 2020s. In the spring of 2024, a $4.7 million complete reconstruction project launched to expand access to the trail to pre-2020 levels, with everyone involved targeting June 18, 2026, as the date to unveil the final product to the public.
That day finally arrived, with the Hanging Lake Trail restored to its former glory — and beyond.
“There was no simple path forward. What followed was years of planning, collaboration, investment, hard work and conversation. An extraordinary coalition came together not just to restore the damaged Hanging Lake Trail but to rebuild it for the next century and create a more resilient trail designed to withstand future challenges while preserving future access to one of Colorado’s most beloved trails,” said Dieter Fenkart-Froeschl, the president and CEO of the National Forest Foundation, during the Hanging Lake Trail Restoration Ribbon Cutting celebration near the trailhead.
The effort brought together the U.S. Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation, the City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and more organizations. Funding came partially from Forest Service appropriations, a CPW grant, and more than 6,000 visitors who donated their canceled reservation fees to the restoration.
Read the full story from our partner at .
