Half Moon Pass Trail
Encyclopedia
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 south of Beaver Creek Resort
, Colorado. Half Moon Pass Trail is accessible from Tigiwon Road, south of Minturn. The hike from Half Moon Pass Trailhead, elevation 10,314 feet, to the summit of Mount of the Holy Cross
and back to the trailhead is approximately twelve miles and ten hours. From Half Moon Pass, the trail descends to East Cross Creek at 10,800 feet. East Cross Creek is fed by Lake Patricia, high at 11,398 feet. Past the creek, the trail ascends rapidly above the trees into a boulder field to the top of Mount of the Holy Cross, approximately six miles from the trailhead. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Half Moon Pass 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...
northeast 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...
. Half Moon Pass 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. Half Moon Pass Trail is accessible from Tigiwon Road, south of Minturn. The hike from Half Moon Pass Trailhead, elevation 10,314 feet, 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...
and back to the trailhead is approximately twelve miles and ten hours. From Half Moon Pass, the trail descends to East Cross Creek at 10,800 feet. East Cross Creek is fed by Lake Patricia, high at 11,398 feet. Past the creek, the trail ascends rapidly above the trees into a boulder field to the top of Mount of the Holy Cross, approximately six miles from the trailhead. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Half Moon Pass Trail.