Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake exists because of a fault. Roughly an acre and a half of the valley floor sheared away along a fracture line, dropping to form a natural basin high on the wall of Glenwood Canyon. Water from Dead Horse Creek drained into that depression and, over thousands of years, dissolved limestone from the ancient Leadville formation began precipitating out of the water, building up a rim of travertine around the edges and holding the lake in place like a bowl of stone.

The result is an unusual travertine-rim lake, its water a vivid turquoise from dissolved carbonate minerals. Designated a National Natural Landmark in twenty eleven, Hanging Lake now requires advance permits to visit, a recognition that its delicate geology cannot survive unlimited foot traffic.