Holy Cross Wilderness - White River

The United States Congress designated the Holy Cross Wilderness in 1980 and it now has a total of 123,409 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Colorado and is managed by the White River and Pike San Isabel National Forest. The wilderness is characterized by rugged ridgelines and glacier-carved valleys, spruce-fir forests, cascading streams and dozens of lakes; elevations range from 8,500 feet to 14,005 feet.

Holy Cross Wilderness is named after Mount of the Holy Cross, which became famous in 1873 when William Henry Jackson first photographed the cross of snow on the northeast face of the mountain. The area became protected as a national monument in the early 1930’s. More recently, the wilderness has become known for its excellent hiking and backpacking on over 150 miles of trail.  The ever increasing numbers of visitors means that solitude can be difficult to find in areas such as Mount of the Holy Cross, Missouri Lakes, Fancy Lake, Beaver Lake, Cross Creek, Fall Creek and Timberline Lake.

Protect this special place by using Leave No Trace techniques:

Camping – Choose previously impacted sites, at least 100 feet from trails, lakes and streams.

Human Waste and Trash – Pack out all trash and human waste

Dogs – Pets must be leashed to protect wildlife and the experience of other visitors.

Climbing Mount of the Holy Cross

The standard route on Holy Cross is the Halfmoon Trail from Tigiwon Road. This is a very strenuous hike with over 8,000 vertical feet of elevation change and several miles of walking on rock (each direction) to climb the peak and return to the trailhead. Holy Cross is also notorious for bad weather; be prepared! 

Camping along Halfmoon Trail is restricted to 10 designated sites near East Cross Creek. Sites are first come, first serve; if all sites are full, you must share with another party. Camping outside of the designated sites is prohibited to protect East Cross Creek and the surrounding riparian areas from camping impacts. Campfires are prohibited in this area.