Hanging Lake fills a 1.5-acre shelf suspended from the walls of Deadhorse Canyon, a side canyon north of Glenwood Canyon. It’s fed by natural springs and the fan of Bridal Veil Falls. This National Natural Landmark was formed by a geologic fault that caused the lakebed to drop away from the valley floor above. Layers of travertine comprise the lake edge and give the water its turquois color.

Hanging Lake was designated a National Natural Landmark in 2011

Hanging Lake is fed by natural springs and snowmelt from the Flat Top Mountains

Looking up at the spout of Spouting Rock from a grotto carved into the base of the waterfall

Penstemon is derived from the Greek pente, or 'five', and stemon, a reference to stamen

Groundwater traveling through limestone beds dissolves calcium carbonate, which through a complex association of water and air chemistry builds deposits of travertine

Deadhorse Creek Canyon supports a unique micro-habitat and is compelling destination in itself

The word travertine originates from deposits found along the Tibur River

The Colorado River flows over 1450 miles from its headwaters on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park to the Gulf of California

Ferns are unique from other plants in that they reproduce with spores instead of seeds

At peak runoff, water flows over the top of the rock wall through which Spouting Rock is carved, creating a voluminous and misty spectacle

View down Deadhorse Canyon from the lip of Hanging Lake

Standing beneath Bridal Veil falls is a good way to cool off - and compromise your camera lens!

Hanging gardens are spring-fed colonies of plants clinging to a vertical wall; they often form in alcoves where conditions are cooler and moister than the surrounding area