In a news release sent out by the U.S. Forest Service on Friday, access to Hanging Lake and other Glenwood Canyon trails will be limited beginning in May. Trail reconstruction, bridge replacements and other improvements will be worked on. 

This work will repair damage from the catastrophic debris flows from 2021 and will improve the trails’ ability to handle future high water and debris, the release stated. 

Trail improvements and ecological restoration will begin May 1 to make the 1.2 mile long Hanging Lake Trail more sustainable and safe. This includes replacing the trail’s seven bridges to better accommodate high water and constructing a boardwalk at Spouting Rock to reduce erosion, the release stated. 

Hanging Lake Trail will be closed Monday through Friday for construction, along with some weekends once bridge replacement starts taking place later in the summer. Construction will continue from the summer into the fall, the release stated. 

Hiking dates and times will be released every Tuesday beginning at 8 a.m. on April 30. Reservations are also available to be made at http://www.visitglenwood.com, the release stated. 

This reconstruction project is being funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Trails Program, the National Forest Foundation, City of Glenwood Springs, H2O Ventures, and the USDA Forest Service, the release stated. 

“This work would not be possible without the significant support of our partners,” Acting White River National Forest Supervisor Heather Noel said. “We appreciate the public’s patience as we complete these improvements that will ensure world-class visitor experiences on our Glenwood Canyon trails for decades to come.”

Reconstruction on Grizzly Creek and Jessie Weaver (No Name) trails in Glenwood Canyon are also expected to start in May. Once it begins, the existing trail closure two miles up the Grizzly Creek trail will be extended down to the picnic tables, which are about 0.3 miles from the trailhead, the release stated. 

The Jessie Weaver Trail existing closure will be slightly extended to the first bridge, about 3 miles from the trailhead. Construction updates will be posted at http://www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver.

The bridge replacements on both Grizzly Creek and Jessie Weaver trails, along with reconstruction, will allow hikers to go from one trailhead to the next, even during high water events, the release stated. 

“This work will restore a trail connection that has been extremely popular with local hikers,” Noel said in the release. 

These two projects, Grizzly Creek and Jessie Weaver Trail Reconstruction, are being funded by City of Glenwood Springs, National Forest Foundation, and the USDA Forest Service, including Great American Outdoors Act funding, the release stated.