Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake is a very popular tourist destination – and just by looking at photos you can see why. It is located inside the vast walls of Glenwood Canyon. The lake itself is a swirl of different shades of turquoise with several waterfalls pouring into it. The lake was also formed by rare travertine deposition, making it a geological wonder. So when spring finally hit Colorado, David and I decided this should be our first hike of the year.

Hanging Lake is about three hours from our house, so we had an early morning ahead of us. I heard that the parking lot fills up fast, so we left the house around six. Although the drive was long, it was very scenic. I-70 always amazes us, and this drive was no different. Although it was warm & snow-free in the plains, we were driving between snow-capped mountains on the highway.

The trail starts off on a walking path that runs along the Colorado River. We felt so small looking up at Glenwood Canyon’s towering cliffs above. The views from the path were incredible – and we were just getting started! When we reached the sign at the official trailhead, David and I braced ourselves. Although the trail to the lake was not very long (a little over a mile), we read that it was pretty steep with uneven, rocky terrain.

The trail was indeed steep. Very steep. One section of the trail had stairs carved out of massive boulders with metal handrails. But no matter where we stopped to rest, we were surrounded by gorgeous views of the canyon and small waterfalls. And since it was springtime, plants and flowers were just beginning to bloom. At one point we were walking through an explosion of green leaves starting to open up.

When David and I finally reached Hanging Lake, we were mesmerized. The blue-green color of the lake was so surreal, and the water was as clear as glass. The fish looked as though they were hovering in air rather than swimming in water. When we sat down to eat and take in the view, we noticed several birds flying around that called Hanging Lake its home. A blue jay came to say hello on a branch hanging over the benches where we were sitting, while a humming bird enjoyed a meal from one of its blooming flowers. Needless to say the rough trail was well worth it.

Before heading back to the car, we took a detour to visit Spouting Rock. The trail was located behind Hanging Lake, and led to a tall waterfall gushing directly over the face of a cliff. Below it was a shallow cave that took us behind the actual waterfall. Because of the spring runoff from the mountains, the water was coming down really hard. It was pretty remarkable being able to walk right up to the base of it and feel the powerful weight of the water coming down.

As David and I were driving home, we made a pit stop near Genesee Park. When we passed this area in the morning, we randomly saw buffalo roaming around near the fence by the highway. It turns out that this area is a buffalo herd nature preserve. The buffalo are direct descendants of the last wild buffalo herd left in America. We were lucky because the buffalo were still there, resting and grazing in the large field. It was amazing being so close to them. We stood in awe at their size, and noticed many were already loosing their winter coats. On the final leg back home, David and I talked about how many amazing things Colorado had to offer – and we’ve only scratched the surface.