The popular Hanging Lake trail will be closed this Saturday. The Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers will be working on improvements at the heavily used destination. They’ll tackle some of the areas that are suffering from overuse.
The group is conducting trail work on the main path to the Lake, as well as an upper trail to Spouting Rock. Volunteers will also put in new benches along the main trail. And they will build barriers to protect wetlands between the Lake and nearby falls.
The Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers will be working with the Eagle Holy Cross Ranger District, within the White River National Forest. The federal agency is assessing ways to reduce crowding and overuse at Hanging Lake and its parking lot, which will also be closed on Saturday.
Long term, the Forest Service is seriously considering fees and a possible shuttle service to limit the number of visitors. That could go into effect in 2017. In the meantime, rangers have said volunteer efforts like the one this Saturday play a significant role in keeping Hanging Lake in good shape.
