Notch Mountain Trail
Encyclopedia
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 of Beaver Creek Resort
, Colorado. Notch Mountain Trail is accessible from Tigiwon Road, south of Minturn. From Fall Creek Trailhead, the hike to the summit of Notch Mountain, 13,237 feet, and back to Half Moon Campground is eight miles. Notch Mountain Trail provides access to the saddle of Notch Mountain, at 13,110 feet of elevation. The ridge of Notch Mountain overlooks the Bowl of Tears, an alpine lake, and East Cross Creek. As it tumbles north, East Cross Creek intersects with the Half Moon Trail that ascends to the summit of Mount of the Holy Cross
, 14,005 feet. Notch Mountain Trail is the access route followed by thousands of pilgrims during the past century seeking the blessings of the cross formed by melting snow on the northern face of Mount of the Holy Cross
. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Notch Mountain Trail.
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...
east 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...
. Notch Mountain 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...
, 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. Notch Mountain Trail is accessible from Tigiwon Road, south of Minturn. From Fall Creek Trailhead, the hike to the summit of Notch Mountain, 13,237 feet, and back to Half Moon Campground is eight miles. Notch Mountain Trail provides access to the saddle of Notch Mountain, at 13,110 feet of elevation. The ridge of Notch Mountain overlooks the Bowl of Tears, an alpine lake, and East Cross Creek. As it tumbles north, East Cross Creek intersects with the Half Moon Trail that ascends to the summit 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...
, 14,005 feet. Notch Mountain Trail is the access route followed by thousands of pilgrims during the past century seeking the blessings of the cross formed by melting snow on the northern face 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...
. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Notch Mountain Trail.