RFOV volunteers return to Hanging Lake for first time since 2019

For the first time in six years, volunteers are returning to Hanging Lake Trail later this month to help restore one of Glenwood Canyon’s most iconic destinations.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, more than 50 people will join Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers for a one-day project focused on finishing touches to the recently updated 1.2-mile trail. The workday is fully booked and will bring together community members, high school interns from RFOV’s Youth in Nature program, a 15-person crew from Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, and staff and partners.

The trail has been closed on and off since the 2020 Grizzly Creek Fire and the destructive 2021 debris flows that buried sections of the route and wiped out bridges. While Hanging Lake itself was spared, the surrounding slopes and trail system were heavily damaged.

Reconstruction began in May 2024 with a focus on long-term sustainability. Crews completed extensive stonework, installing steps and retaining walls, while also staging materials for new bridges. Helicopters ferried in massive sections last fall, each load weighing up to 2 tons. The work has continued in phases, with contractors handling the more technical construction before community volunteers could return.

“Our volunteers have had a really long history on the Hanging Lake Trail, with a lot of blood, sweat and tears poured into it over the years,” said RFOV Program Director Jack Douglas. “To be back on that trail after such a long absence is going to be especially meaningful for our older volunteers. For newer volunteers, it’ll be a chance to see that historic impact and the emotions of those returning.”

Douglas said the Sept. 27 event will include “pitch paving” — layering rocks into a cobblestone-like surface — along with building steps and potentially retaining walls.

“It’s going to be quite a bit of rock work, really building out the last hard surface of the tread that will hopefully allow the trail to be sustainable and enjoyable for a long time,” he said.

RFOV also has a project planned Sept. 20 on the nearby Grizzly Creek Trail, where volunteers will clear corridors, reinforce tread and complete erosion control.

“Both of these trails have immense historic and recreation value and were damaged severely by the fire and flooding,” Douglas said. “We are thrilled to be able to get volunteers back out after long periods in which they needed remediation by professional contractors. It’s a fantastic way for us to show what these trails mean to us, where we choose to recreate and spend our stewardship time.”

“These projects really show the commitment of the community in the aftermath of fire and flooding,” RFOV Communications and Engagement Manager Tabatha Godoy added. “If we want to keep these trails and recreational spaces open, we have to put boots on the ground. It’s special to be part of a community that continues that stewardship years later.”

The Hanging Lake project is currently at capacity, but a waitlist is available at rfov.org. If openings occur, RFOV staff will reach out to those signed up. Volunteer spots for the Grizzly Creek Trail project remain open.

The restoration project at Hanging Lake is expected to wrap up this fall, with a full reopening anticipated in October.