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Changes are coming to Hanging Lake; here's how to give your input

Their plan is to limit the number of visitors to 615 a day, which would dramatically reduce the number of people who visit every summer.

The United States Forest Service is months from a big step that would change everything about how people visit Hanging Lake Park, and you have until Jan. 22 to give them your input.

They've only received 20 comments so far, but of what they've heard over the last 5 years, putting this plan together has been positive.

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Their plan is to limit the number of visitors to 615 a day, which would dramatically reduce the number of people who visit every summer.

Located about 10 miles east of Glenwood Springs along I-70 in the Glenwood Canyon, Hanging Lake is a breathtaking sight.

The Forest Service estimates more than 100,000 visit every season.

"If everything goes according to plan, we're going to have some changes at Hanging Lake come this summer one way or another so the more ears and eyeballs we can reach to get that message out to folks the better," said Aaron Mayville, the district ranger for the Eagle Holy Cross district of the White National Forest.

Hanging Lake became a hot spot once people started posting about it on social media. Soon, the signs were ignored and parts of the park vandalized.

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Not to mention, the terrible traffic and lack of parking.

There have also been increasing reports of people ignoring the rules put in place to protect the fragile ecosystem. To combat this, starting in 2018 there will be shuttle system put in place as well as a daily capacity to limit use.

The Forest Service plan includes shuttling people in during peak season and making people pay for a permit.

"If we're reducing the number of people and limiting hours, we're hopeful that fewer footprints will stray beyond the trail, fewer footprints will go where they're not supposed to, and fewer people will be jumping in the lake," Mayville said.

In the next step, the Forest Service will collect bids for a shuttle service to determine how much the permits cost.

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