Cross Creek Trail
Encyclopedia
Cross Creek Trail is a hiking trail in the northern Sawatch Range
, part of the Rocky Mountains
in the US state of Colorado
. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness
, west of Mount of the Holy Cross
in Eagle County
. Cross Creek Trail is south of Interstate 70
, west of Highway 24, south of Minturn
, southwest of Vail
and south of Beaver Creek Resort
, Colorado.
Cross Creek Trail follows Cross Creek south from a trailhead elevation of 8,550 feet, 12 miles to a junction at 11,300 feet, with the trail up Savage Peak to Treasure Vault Lake. The trail passes the steep west face of Mount of the Holy Cross. A loop of Holy Cross Ridge can be completed in approximately five days of backpacking from the Cross Creek Trailhead, up Cross Creek Trail, over Fancy Pass to Fancy Lake, then north to Holy Cross City. From there, the Hunky Dory Trail leads to Fall Creek Pass on the northern ridge of Whitney Peak, 13,271 feet, where the Fall Creek Trail continues north. Fall Creek Trail passes Lake Constantine and a junction with the Notch Mountain Trail
to arrive at Half Moon Campground. From the junction with Half Moon Pass Trail
, the return to Cross Creek Trailhead is an eight-mile hike down Tigiwon Road. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Cross Creek Trail.
The Holy Cross wilderness has a history of threatening the lives of adventurous hikers. Primarily, the hikers who require rescue are unfamiliar with the risks of entering wilderness areas and do not bring adequate equipment and supplies to respond to emergency conditions. Hikers are frequently stranded or lost due to changing environmental conditions and confusion regarding the surrounding landscape.
Sawatch Range
The Sawatch Range is a mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies....
, part of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in the US state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness
Holy Cross Wilderness
The Holy Cross Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Isabel and White River national forests near Leadville, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Vail, Colorado. The wilderness with of trails was established in 1980. The wilderness was named after its highest peak, Mount of the...
, west of Mount of the Holy Cross
Mount of the Holy Cross
Mount of the Holy Cross is the northernmost 14,000-foot mountain in the Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness near the ghost town of Holy Cross City and in Eagle County. It was named for the distinctive cross-shaped snowfield on the...
in Eagle County
Eagle County, Colorado
Eagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle...
. Cross Creek Trail is south of Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
, west of Highway 24, south of Minturn
Minturn, Colorado
Minturn is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,068 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Minturn is located at ....
, southwest of Vail
Vail, Colorado
The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...
and south of Beaver Creek Resort
Beaver Creek Resort
Beaver Creek Resort is a major United States ski resort near Avon, Colorado, run by Vail Resorts. The resort comprises three villages, the main Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead to the west...
, Colorado.
Cross Creek Trail follows Cross Creek south from a trailhead elevation of 8,550 feet, 12 miles to a junction at 11,300 feet, with the trail up Savage Peak to Treasure Vault Lake. The trail passes the steep west face of Mount of the Holy Cross. A loop of Holy Cross Ridge can be completed in approximately five days of backpacking from the Cross Creek Trailhead, up Cross Creek Trail, over Fancy Pass to Fancy Lake, then north to Holy Cross City. From there, the Hunky Dory Trail leads to Fall Creek Pass on the northern ridge of Whitney Peak, 13,271 feet, where the Fall Creek Trail continues north. Fall Creek Trail passes Lake Constantine and a junction with the Notch Mountain Trail
Notch Mountain Trail
Notch Mountain Trail is in the northern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness east of Mount of the Holy Cross in Eagle County. Notch Mountain Trail is south of Interstate 70, south of Minturn, southwest of Vail and south...
to arrive at Half Moon Campground. From the junction with Half Moon Pass Trail
Half Moon Pass Trail
Half Moon Pass Trail is in the northern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness northeast of Mount of the Holy Cross in Eagle County. Half Moon Pass Trail is south of Interstate 70, south of Minturn, southwest of Vail and...
, the return to Cross Creek Trailhead is an eight-mile hike down Tigiwon Road. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Cross Creek Trail.
The Holy Cross wilderness has a history of threatening the lives of adventurous hikers. Primarily, the hikers who require rescue are unfamiliar with the risks of entering wilderness areas and do not bring adequate equipment and supplies to respond to emergency conditions. Hikers are frequently stranded or lost due to changing environmental conditions and confusion regarding the surrounding landscape.