Damage from recent debris flows closed the Hanging Lake trail for the remainder of 2021 and work to restore the trail could continue into 2023. Thankfully, the area’s ecology is showing signs of a quick recovery. According to White River National Forest hydrologist Justin Anderson, “We saw intense rainfall events during July that delivered sediment and ash upstream of the waterfall. Clear water is now draining into the lake from Spouting Rock. Soil function will take longer to recover. The landscape is pretty resilient to fire and water, even the magnitude of the events that occurred.”
