Holy Cross Wilderness

Holy Cross Wilderness spans nearly 123,000 acres of federally protected backcountry in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service as a primitive non-motorized landscape. The area offers solitude and untracked terrain for hikers and backpackers willing to travel on foot through alpine and subalpine country without roads, motors, or mechanized travel of any kind.

Visiting means committing to Leave No Trace ethics and the real constraints of wilderness travel: no mountain bikes, no stock use without special permits, no chainsaws or trail maintenance equipment, and no shortcuts. Access is by foot from trailheads on the wilderness boundary. Summer and early fall are the primary seasons, though snow and weather can close or complicate travel in shoulder months. This is a place for self-reliant backcountry users who understand and respect the rules that keep wilderness wild.