The Mount of the Holy Cross is so-named for a rood-shaped snowfield in a northeast-facing couloir on the peak that has captivated photographers and painters since the 19th century. While the namesake peak is the only fourteener, the wilderness contains more than 20 other summits in excess of 13,000 feet. Glacial erosion and a heavy snowpack make for plenty of lake basins, wet meadows and cascade-staggered streams. Lodgepole-pine and aspen woods grade through subalpine spruce fir forest, timberline groves and alpine tundra.
A developed Forest Service campground, Halfmoon, sits near the Holy Cross Wilderness boundary on the northeast, at the terminus of Forest Road 707. As of 2013, one of the seven sites cost $10 per night; none are reservable, and most RVs aren't appropriate given the roughness of the access road and the size of the sites. Another nearby campground lies in Sylvan Lake State Park (parks.state.co.us) just west of the wilderness. Camping within the wilderness itself takes the form of backpacking, whether in unofficial but established dispersed sites or elsewhere.
Check with the White River National Forest (fs.usda.gov) to inquire about the most up-to-date regulations pertaining to the Holy Cross Wilderness before trekking there. A permit, available from a Forest Service office, is required to camp overnight. As of this writing, backpackers are restricted to designated campsites only along the Halfmoon Trail’s traverse of the East Cross Creek valley and cannot bed down in the Notch Mountain Shelter. More generally, backpackers should site their camp at least 100 feet or more away from creeks, lakes and other water sources as well as established trails and any prohibitive signs, including those identifying wilderness restoration sites. Practice leave-no-trace methods when camping here, and take special care in the fragile alpine zone above timberline. Campfires are prohibited across a broad area of the wilderness, including the East Cross Creek, Missouri Lakes and Fancy Creek drainages.
Colorado’s high country is dangerous for the unprepared. Pack for rigorous mountain conditions: Be sure to have plenty of insulating layers on hand for cold nights and the possibility of an unexpected snowstorm. Thunderstorms are common on summer afternoons, with hail and especially lightning being serious threats; head below timberline if winds pick up and cumulonimbus clouds mount. To avoid becoming turned around in the backcountry, carry a topographic map of adequately large scale as well as a compass. Tote all basic wilderness essentials -- from a first-aid kit to signaling equipment and an emergency shelter.
