The famous Hanging Lake trail is expected to reopen on May 1, nearly a year after the Grizzly Creek Fire burned more than 32,000 acres of Glenwood Canyon.

David Boyd, public affairs officer with the White River National Forest, confirmed officials are working with Glenwood Springs and the Colorado Department of Transportation to prepare for a May opening.

“We are still working out some details and expect an announcement with more details including about reservations soon,” Boyd said.

When Hanging Lake reopens, there will likely be changes with how visitors get to and from the trail.

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The Glenwood Springs City Council is voting Thursday on amending its contract with H2O Ventures, which provides the Hanging Lake Shuttle Service from the Welcome Center in Glenwood Springs.

Instead of the current shuttle system, the council’s plan would allow visitors to drive to the Hanging Lake parking lot with a permit.

“The Forest Service believes that it will be easier for people to evacuate in case of a sudden thunderstorm that could cause a life-threatening debris or mudflow,” the council report reads, saying the dangerous conditions resulted from the Grizzly Creek Fire.

While the trail was spared during the fire, the area above it suffered significant damage, causing a long-term risk for post-fire flooding and debris, according to the White River National Forest.

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The shuttle service was first implemented in 2019 but was halted in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The contract amendment would go into effect from May through November, at which point officials would reevaluate the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the conditions of the Hanging Lake area.

In addition, the trail will be open at a limited capacity because of COVID-19 social distancing requirements. Officials have not yet said how much they will limit the trail’s capacity. 

Visitors will need to book hiking reservations in advance with an exact date and time at visitglenwood.com. Reservation requests are set to open on April 1.