Chelsea Self/Glenwood Springs Post Independent
In the past two weeks, more than 6,180 people have reserved and secured permits to visit Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon during the 2019 peak-season beginning May 1, the Forest Service announced Friday.
The online reservation system for the permits and shuttle to Hanging Lake trailhead launched April 1.
The system was developed by H2O, the contractor working in partnership with the city of Glenwood Springs and the Forest Service to roll out the system that limits hikers on Hanging Lake to 615 per day.
“At Visit Glenwood Springs, we are pleased that the implementation of the reservation system has been a smooth process. The feedback from visitors has been very positive,” said Lisa Langer, director of tourism promotion for Visit Glenwood.
She said there is plenty of opportunity to secure a reservation to visit Hanging Lake throughout the peak season, May through October.
To date, July is the most popular month to reserve a permit to hike to Hanging Lake, a trend reflected in prior year’s visitation numbers.
The majority of people making reservations are coming from the Front Range of Colorado, but hundreds of out-of-state visitors have also reserved their permits to visit this treasured Colorado location.
The Hanging Lake Express shuttle will officially begin to deliver hikers to the trailhead for the season on May 1. Visits will be staggered throughout the day to avoid congestion on the trail and avoid the impacts of large crowds on the environment.
“Once again, people are proving just how much they love Hanging Lake, and we’ve been overjoyed with the public response to the reservation system,” Forest Service District Ranger Aaron Mayville said.
“We look forward to the shuttle launching in May and to the positive changes that we’ve worked hard to put in place,” Mayville said.