White River National Forest · Colorado

Mount of the Holy Cross

5.1 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 2009 · trail class 3 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking · seasonal: hiking 06/21-11/22

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 39.5005, -106.4329 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Deluge Lake TH #2014 the Forest Service's write-up

The Deluge Lake trail begins near East Vail and ends at Deluge Lake: The trail traverses a steep, sunny, south-facing hillside for about 3 miles before turning north into the Deluge Creek valley toward Deluge Lake where views to the Sawatch Range and Mount of the Holy Cross emerge.

Parking at the trailhead is limited; park in town and take the free bus to the trailhead.

Restrictions <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=81113">Holy Cross Wilderness</a>&nbsp;regulations apply to areas within the Wilderness boundary.

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Mount of the Holy Cross TH #2009 the Forest Service's write-up

Mount of the Holy Cross Trail #2009 begins at the end of Tigiwon Road #707 and ends at the top of Mount of the Holy Cross within Holy Cross Wilderness where regulations apply. 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!

From the parking area, the trail is a moderately steep climb to Half Moon Pass, passing through spruce-fir stands the first mile then climbing above timberline to the Pass. On the west side of Half Moon Pass, the trail descends, with some steep sections, crosses East Cross Creek, and climbs again over talus to the peak of Mount of the Holy Cross. Good orientation skills are *required if climbing to the peak.

Camping along Mount of the Holy Cross 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 and human waste. Campfires are prohibited in this area.

Restrictions <ul><li>See:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1098984.pdf">Holy Cross Wilderness Occupancy and Use</a></li><li>Camping along Halfmoon Trail is restricted to 10 designated sites near East Cross Creek.</li></ul>

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in White River National Forest

All 729 trails in White River National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.