Hanging Lake Trail: It's 'Possible To Love A Place To Death'
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- A popular hiking trail in Glenwood Canyon is getting a little too popular. The U.S. Forest Service says the number of people who have visited the Hanging Lake Trail so far this year has increased by 20 percent over last year, with several weeks left to go in the outdoor recreation season.
Some people claim it's one of the best hikes in Colorado.
"It's one of the best hikes I have been on," said one hiker.
"It's an attraction, it's a destination. I definitely understand why," said U.S. Forest Service Deputy District Ranger Aaron Mayville. "It's possible to love a place to death. This place is being loved a lot."
In the first eight months of this year, there have already been 120,000 visits compared 100,000 for all of 2014. That increase is causing some concern.
"We got the last spot. When we came in the last time we attempted the hike before but we had to turn around," said one hiker.
"This place is a zoo. People parking illegally, people getting into fights over parking," said Mayville.
With a small parking lot at the trailhead and no space to expand, a team is working on solutions to handle the increase in visitors without detracting from the outdoor experience or ruining the wilderness surrounding the trail.
"Parking structures have been talked about, busing systems have been talked about, we are making progress toward a long-term strategy but there are a lot of challenges," said Mayville.
The Forest Service says they hope to navigate those challenges in order to keep the trail open for future generations. In the meantime, people keep coming.
"There are a lot of people, more than we thought. We thought we'd pick a quiet day," said one hiker.
Some advice for those who plan to hike Hanging Lake Trail: Get there early because the parking lot is usually full by 7 a.m.