Hanging Lake, Natural landmark lake in Garfield County, Colorado, US

Hanging Lake sits at 2187 meters elevation and shows turquoise water formed by limestone deposits along a steep slope in Glenwood Canyon. The water comes from a small spring and flows over several steps, with pale mineral layers forming the edges of the basin.

Hanging Lake occupies a basin on a fault line in Glenwood Canyon, where about an acre and a half of the valley floor sheared off and dropped. The area served as a homestead and private family retreat until Glenwood Springs bought it after Congress passed the Taylor Bill in 1910. It then became a public tourist stop, hosting a resort and cafe in the 1940s until construction of Interstate 70 began in 1968. In 1972 the trail and lake passed to the Forest Service within White River National Forest, and in 2011 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar named it a National Natural Landmark.

The name refers to how the body of water appears suspended along a steep cliff face high above the canyon floor. Visitors come here to see the clear waters and walk the forest trails that wind through the surrounding woodland.

Visitors need to secure permits in advance for 12 dollars in summer or 10 dollars in winter, as daily entry is limited by number. The parking area sits at a rest stop near Interstate 70, where the trail to the water begins.

The water continuously deposits limestone that forms fine white crusts on logs and stones. This process slowly changes the shoreline and allows new structures to grow along the edges of the basin.