After a flyover of the Hanging Lake area Friday afternoon, the Forest Service reported that the fire did not likely burn in the lake basin itself.
The immediate area around Hanging Lake, the vegetation at the lake and on the cliffs, and the boardwalk appear to not have been impacted directly by the fire.
However, the fire did burn intensely in the areas around Hanging Lake. They couldn’t get a good look at the lower stretches of the trail because of smoke, so the extent of damage to infrastructure such as the trail, bridges, and signs is currently not known.
The Forest Service won’t know for a while what long-term impacts will be because the health of Hanging Lake is directly tied to hydrology of the area. Fire-related erosion and runoff getting into the fragile lake ecosystem is a major concern. However, the Forest Service will be working with experts on mitigation efforts to try to protect the area.
We understand that visitors have concerns about their reservations. Reservations may be cancelled at any time, however visitors may wish to donate their permit fee to the Hanging Lake restoration fund.
If visitors wish to donate to the Hanging Lake trail restoration fund, all they have to do is to not cancel their reservation. If they do so, 100% of their permit feel will go towards the Hanging Lake restoration fund.
