There’s a magical and secret “Hanging Lake” in Colorado that few people ever see. It’s probably where unicorns are born. OK, unicorns (probably) aren’t real, but if they were, they’d be from a place like this.

Hanging Lake is a travertine geological formation in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, about seven miles east of Glenwood Springs. It is one of only two hanging lakes worldwide, making it incredibly rare – and very protected. This area of the White River National Forest was designated a National Landmark because of its uniqueness.

The magic begins as you drive into Glenwood Springs on 1-70. This part of the highway is an engineering marvel suspended through Glenwood Canyon with the Colorado River flowing beneath.

You lose cell service at exit 125 at the bottom of the canyon, so be prepared. You won’t get it back until you’re on the highway again, so don’t have an emergency.

Starting the Hike to Hanging Lake

First, because it’s so rare and spectacular, you’ll need a special permit. Plan in advance because they do sell out. After you enter the park, there’s a long paved walk to the trailhead, where you’ll see a trickle of a waterfall flowing into the Colorado River. I followed that waterfall to its source nearly to the top of the mountain.

The 1.2-mile, out-and-back trail starts steep and stays that way. It climbs 1,000 feet up a granite canyon to reach Hanging Lake. The path is strewn with rocky granite, which makes getting a foothold easier and more treacherous. Slipping or falling on the rocks is almost guaranteed to bloody you.

It takes most people about an hour each way due to the steep incline, which you will essentially climb and/or crawl, so get ready. It took me 1.5 hours each way (coming down is no easier).

I read trail reviews from other hikers who didn’t think it was as tough as I did, but they probably hike Everest on the weekends. I don’t have that kind of stamina.

The day I went, I was one of about a dozen other people on the trail. We passed each other sporadically, heading up or coming down.

Midway on the hike to Hanging Lake

As I trudged my way slowly up, sweating and breathing heavily, I asked each person I saw coming down: “How much further?” The answer: “There’s a way to go yet … and it gets steeper … but it’s worth it.”

There are, thankfully, plenty of places to rest along the way alone in the canyon with the waterfall flowing through. Just pausing to listen to the birds and the water rushing past was like a day at the spa but sweatier.

The waterfall, which gets bigger the further you go, makes it easy to know you’re going the right way. This is important since the trail is so strewn with rocks that it’s sometimes hard to discern if there is a trail.

Out there, it was me, trees as old as time, and granite rock face as far as I could see. The waterfall that began as a trickle eventually becomes a gush, and other than that, there are few signs of change for millennia.

Finally, when I know it can’t possibly be any further, there is a metal rail signaling previous civilization. Those last few hundred feet or so, I’m not on a trail but more a rock wall of disjointed steps. There is also a tree growing through the granite steps, so it’s unclear. The rail, though, serves an important purpose. Looking over the side, there is one foot between me and a 1,000-foot drop. But man, that view.

I clutched those handrails like it was a deathmatch and dragged myself up those steps. It’s tricky and daunting, but I’ve come so far there’s no way I’m not doing it – and trust me – you will think about turning back right then.

Entering Unicorn Paradise

A geological fault caused the lakebed to fall from the valley floor above and form Hanging Lake. Deposits of limestone and travertine from the lake above created the new lake below, so it’s like a bowl of water flowing into a bowl of water.

Protecting this geological wonder is serious business and you shouldn’t touch the water or associated trees at all. Getting in is forbidden.

A human-made, wooden walkway leads to the lake and provides a place to stand and gawk at its dreamlike perfection. The huge pine trees, plants, flowers, and crystal-clear water mesmerize as the waterfall cast rainbows and chipmunks frolic at my feet.

The geologic processes create a recipe for perfect turquoise water and hanging plants rarely seen anywhere else in the states.

It was just me and a park ranger who sat in a back corner all day reading. This would be my dream job if it weren’t for that commute up the mountain every day.

If you can rip your eyes away from the lake and turn around, you’ll see an equally breathtaking view over the gorge you just traversed.

Spouting Rock Waterfall

The lake system is actually three layers. Up a short but steep climb 200 yards above Hanging Lake is the waterfall called Spouting Rock. It’s aptly named, too, because it shoots out of a hole in the cliff face of the mountain.

The force of its spray over the years created a shallow cave you can walk behind. Colorado is full of these wonders.

Heading down, down, down

The trip down retraces the trip up. Gravity made me go faster and struggle to counteract it because the sharp granite rocks are not forgiving. My shins ached the next day from stabilizing myself and going sideways down the mountain to slow my descent.

As I came down that steep terrain with not another soul in sight, I couldn’t help but think about a quote from Henry David Thoreau in Walden. I could, for the first time, understand his draw to the woods.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately … and not when it came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Henry David Thoreau

What I discovered in those woods is that there are very few people on the path less traveled. That also happens to be what makes it so special.

On my way down from Hanging Lake, the few people I passed heading up would ask me: “How much further?” My answer: “There’s a way to go yet … and it gets steeper … but it’s worth it.”

Read five more things to see in Colorado

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