Our first adventure of many in the summer of 2018 began with the classic outdoor activities of camping and hiking. 
We set off from Boulder headed towards the sparsely populated town of Gypsum, Colorado. We began to lose light as we approached the campsite and couldn’t quite appreciate the spot we had chosen until the next morning.
After a long weekend of campfires, tubing trips down the Colorado River, and lots of laughs we packed up and started our journey home. Along the way we saw a sign for “Hanging Lake Trail” and since everyone heard about this supposedly gorgeous natural landmark we decided to test our luck and drove up to the parking lot.
As we pulled up we were told that the lot was full and to ensure entrance most visitors arrive very early in the morning. However, luck was on our side as someone pulled out of a spot right as we were about to leave. The park ranger ushered us in and we couldn’t have been happier.
The hike took about an hour and had a total distance a little over a mile. The tough part of the hike was the steep path and treacherous terrain. In the end, the energy spent to get up to “Hanging Lake” and “Spouting Rock” is more than worth it. This is one of the prettiest natural landmarks I have ever seen. The water is clearer than crystal with amazing views for 360 degrees. I would highly recommend this hike to others!
-Justin, Harbor Intern