Hanging Lake Falls is a 35-foot segmented waterfall on East Fork Dead Horse Creek in Garfield County, Colorado, where the water drops in side-by-side plunges into travertine-formed Hanging Lake.
The falls
The current figure for the falls is 35 feet, up from an earlier figure of 25 feet. Spouting Rock, a separate waterfall about 200 feet upstream, is not counted as part of this fall.
Getting there
Reaching the lake and falls takes a steep, rocky 1.2-mile trail with 1,200 feet of gain. A timed-entry permit is required year-round, $12 per person, and includes parking at the Hanging Lake Rest Area; there is no shuttle, and vehicles over 25 feet and ride-share drop-offs are not allowed. Eastbound travelers on I-70 use exit 125; westbound travelers have no direct exit and must continue to Grizzly Creek exit 121 and reverse direction.
When to go
Permit hours vary by season, and each reservation gives a three-hour hiking window.
On site
Hanging Lake formed through faulting and the buildup of travertine, and the surrounding ecosystem is described as protected and fragile.
Nearby
Spouting Rock Falls sits about 200 feet upstream, with Upper Grizzly Creek Falls and Lower Grizzly Creek Falls each about 3.9 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.