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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — The U.S. Forest Service has partnered with the city of Glenwood Springs to offer a seasonal shuttle service to Hanging Lake that requires a fee and reservation.

The Forest Service management plan starts in May and caps the daily number of visitors at 615. About 1,000 people per day currently visit Hanging Lake, according to the Forest Service.

Visitors can no longer drive their vehicles during the prime months of May to October.

However, visitors can drive to the lake from November to April after making a fee-based reservation.

“Specific implementation details such as the shuttle provider, shuttle cost, and how to obtain a reservation are currently being worked out between the City and the Forest Service,” says the management plan.

“The goal of this stakeholder group was to discuss and implement short, medium and long-term management actions for the Hanging Lake Area, and after years of studies and work, a management plan was developed. In 2017, trail data revealed 184,000 visitors at Hanging Lake, which represented a 23 percent increase in only one year – demonstrating the need for a management solution,” says the forest service.

Glenwood Springs is about nine miles west of Hanging Lake.