The U.S. Forest Service announced a plan last week to limit crowds at Hanging Lake. The public has a chance to voice opinions Wednesday evening.
About 150,000 people hiked to Hanging Lake in 2016, and those numbers are only increasing. To protect the fragile ecosystem, the Forest Service is planning for a paid-reservation system starting in 2018.
It would limit the number of visitors to 615 per day and require a shuttle to the trailhead in the busiest months of the year.
There are still plenty of details to be worked out, including how much a reservation will cost and how the shuttle will operate. District Ranger Aaron Mayville said the Forest Service wants to hear what the public has to say before making those decisions.
There’s an open house Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Library.