The Holy Cross Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Isabel

San Isabel National Forest

San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado. The forest contains 19 of the state's 54 fourteeners, peaks over high, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado....

 and White River

White River National Forest

White River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through it. It also contains the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, largely considered the birthplace of the U.S...

 national forests near Leadville, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Vail, Colorado

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...

. The 122797 acres (496.9 km²) wilderness with 164 miles (263.9 km) of trails was established in 1980. The wilderness was named after its highest peak, 14005 feet (4,268.7 m) 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...

.

The Holy Cross Wilderness has a history of endangering the lives of many 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. Holy Cross Wilderness visitors should carry adequate provisions, the ten essentials

Ten Essentials

The "Ten Essentials" are survival items that hiking organizations recommend for safe travel in the backcountry.The Ten Essentials were first described in the 1930s by The Mountaineers, a hiking and mountain climbing club. Many regional organizations and authors recommend that hikers, backpackers,...

, including water

Water

Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

, food

Food

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...

, firestarter

Firestarter

Firestarter is a novel by Stephen King first published in 1980. It was nominated for a British Fantasy Award in 1981.The book is dedicated to the author Shirley Jackson: "In Memory of Shirley Jackson, who never needed to raise her voice."...

, guide book or map

Map

A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....

, global positioning device, layers of clothing

Clothing

Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...

, headlamp

Headlamp

A headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by...

, knife

Knife

A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...

, and cell telephone. Thorough research and reasonable planning should prevent most tragedies.

Holy Cross Wilderness hiking trails include Nolan Lake Trail

Nolan Lake Trail

Nolan Lake Trail is in the northwestern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness west of New York Mountain in Eagle County. Nolan Lake Trail is south of Interstate 70, near Eagle and Fulford, Colorado.The Nolan Lake Trail...

, Lake Charles Trail

Lake Charles Trail

Lake Charles Trail is in the northwestern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness west of New York Mountain in Eagle County. Lake Charles Trail is south of Interstate 70, near Eagle and Fulford, Colorado. Lake Charles...

 to Lake Charles and Mystic Island Lake, New York Mountain Trail

New York Mountain Trail

New York Mountain Trail is in the northwestern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness within Eagle County. New York Mountain Trail is south of Interstate 70, near Eagle and Fulford, Colorado. New York Mountain is the...

, Dead Dog Trail, Middle Lake Trail

Middle Lake Trail

Middle Lake Trail is in the northwestern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness northeast of New York Mountain in Eagle County. Middle Lake Trail is south of Interstate 70, near Eagle and Edwards. Middle Lake Trail is...

, Beaver Lake Trail

Beaver Lake Trail

Beaver Lake Trail is in the northwestern Sawatch Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness north of Grouse Mountain in Eagle County. Beaver Lake Trail is south of Interstate 70, near Avon and Edwards. Beaver Lake Trail is located...

 to Beaver Lake and Turquoise Lake, Grouse Lake Trail

Grouse Lake Trail

Grouse Lake 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 Grouse Mountain in Eagle County, south of Interstate 70, near Minturn, west of Vail and east of Avon, Colorado...

, West Grouse Creek Trail

West Grouse Creek Trail

West Grouse Creek 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 Grouse Mountain and south of Beaver Creek Resort in Eagle County. West Grouse Creek Trail is south of Interstate 70, near Minturn,...

, Martin Creek Trail

Martin Creek Trail

Martin Creek 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 Grouse Mountain in Eagle County. Martin Creek Trail is south of Interstate 70, near Minturn, southwest of Vail and southeast of Avon,...

, 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...

, 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...

 to 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...

, Tuhare Lakes Trail

Tuhare Lakes Trail

Tuhare Lakes 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 southeast of Mount of the Holy Cross in Eagle County. Tuhare Lakes Trail is south of Interstate 70, west of Highway 24, south of Minturn,...

, and Cross Creek Trail

Cross Creek Trail

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...

to Treasure Vault Lake and Blodgett Lake. Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, describes these trails.