With the great Colorado snowmelt of 2023 in progress, a large mudslide that occurred Monday afternoon has caused the temporary closure of the Hanging Lake Rest Area in Glenwood Canyon. The trail to Hanging Lake and the lake itself were not affected, but they will be inaccessible until the slide debris is removed.

People with reservations to hike the Hanging Lake trail are being notified by the concessionaire that runs the reservation system for the U.S. Forest Service, H2O Ventures. They have the option to request refunds or reschedule their visit.

“We appreciate the close coordination from the Colorado Department of Transportation, and we appreciate all they are doing to clear the road during this very busy time of year,” said Eagle-Holy Cross forest service district ranger Leanne Veldhuis, according to a news release by the White River National Forest.

Traffic on Interstate 70 through the canyon is not affected.

Crews began moving debris on the Hanging Lake access road Tuesday afternoon.

“Next, crews will remove mudslide material from next to the access road in order to restore a drainage channel for future flooding and mudflows,” according to a CDOT news release. “Crews are also assessing how likely there will be another mudslide in the area. There is also flooding on one of the bridges leading to the Hanging Lake Rest Area access road.”

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