Hanging Lake trail reopens to the public after extensive mudslide damage last summer.

The Hanging Lake trail in Glenwood Canyon, which was heavily damaged by torrential rains and flooding last summer, reopened on Saturday with a temporary trail.

Gov. Jared Polis, Rep. Lauren Boebert and officials from the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Department of Transportation were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Glenwood Springs on Friday. The jubilant ceremony was scheduled to take place at the trail head, but a  flash flood threat in the area scrapped the original location for safety concerns.

“This is really one of Colorado’s treasures,” Polis said, according to the Post Independent. “And for residents of Colorado, also an economic driver; for people who visit from across the country, across the world, spend money in our stores and restaurants.”

Last year’s damaging flood in the area triggered mudslides in the aftermath of the 2020 Grizzly Creek fire.

A permit is required to hike the steep and rocky 1.2 mile scenic trail which climbs 1,000 feet in Glenwood Canyon to Hanging Lake, a National Natural Landmark.

Work will continue on a permanent trail designed to reduce the risk of damage from future extreme weather events. The project, funded by a $2.28-million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, will take about three years to complete.

“We are so excited for the temporary Hanging Lake Trail to reopen,” Boebert said on Facebook. “Thank you to Governor Jared Polis and all our partners for helping us celebrate this special moment and all the exceptional work that has been done in Glenwood Canyon.”

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