How Tall Is Mount Of The Holy Cross?

Colorado is a Rocky Mountain state, which means that it is full of impressive views of staggering peaks that rise and fall around you when you travel through. According to the Colorado Geological Survey, there are 58 peaks alone that rise above 14,000 feet in elevation across the state. There are actually 3,422 total named mountains in Colorado, with Mount Elbert being the tallest and most prominent of them all. Today, we’re going to visit the Mount of the Holy Cross. This is one of the 58 mountains rising above 14,000 feet, and its impressive vistas draw hikers from far and wide to attempt to mount the summit. How tall is the Mount of the Holy Cross? How prominent is it? We’re going to explore the mountain in this article, starting with answering some of those questions.

How Tall is the Mount of the Holy Cross?

As we mentioned in the intro, this mountain is one of 58 peaks in Colorado that rise above 14,000 feet. The Mount of the Holy Cross boasts an elevation of 14,011 feet and a prominence of 2,113 feet. This means that the mountain towers over 2,000 feet above its surroundings. This makes it quite a sight to behold. The mountain is rated 59th on a list of North America’s highest peaks. In order to be placed on this list, the mountain has to have at least 9,843 feet of elevation and 1,640 feet of topographic prominence. It is one of 401 summits on the list.

How does this mountain stack up against other mountains in Colorado? We’re going to show you a table of the ten tallest peaks in Colorado.

You can see from this table that many of these mountains are incredibly similar in elevation. However, there is a wide difference in prominence. The most massive mountain in Colorado – in both elevation and prominence – is Mount Elbert. This giant only boasts 429 more feet in elevation than the Mount of the Holy Cross, but in prominence, it stands 6,980 feet higher.

Mount of the Holy Cross vs. North American Mountains

In all of the 50 United States, the highest peak is, by far, Mount Denali in Alaska. This impressive summit has a whopping 20,310 feet of elevation and a prominence of 20,194. In comparison, Mount Denali makes the Mount of the Holy Cross look like a hill. In prominence alone, Mount Denali has Mount of the Holy Cross beat by 18,081 feet. That’s nearly 4,000 feet greater than the entire elevation of the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, which caps out at 14,505 feet in elevation and 10,079 feet in prominence. If you put the three mountains next to each other, Mount Denali would stand 10,115 feet over Mount Whitney, who would tower over Mount of the Holy Cross by 7,966 feet.

These are all impressive numbers, but it is hard to conceptualize just how big these peaks are. Let’s break it down into something a little more familiar. A football field is 360 feet long. That means that the Mount of the Holy Cross has an elevation that is equal to 38.91 football fields. It has a prominence equal to 5.86 football fields. We can break it down even further. the most common car in America, as of 2022, was the Honda Accord. This car has a total length of 16.31 feet. Mount of the Holy Cross is 129.6 Honda Accords in prominence and an elevation of 859 Honda Accords. That’s quite the traffic jam!

Where is the Mount of the Holy Cross on a Map?

We’ve already revealed that the Mount of the Holy Cross is in Colorado, but where exactly can you find this giant? We’ve included a helpful map to give you a sense of perspective on where this beautiful mountain is and how you can get to it. Let’s look at the map and then talk about how far the mountain is from major cities and other locations of interest.

Mount of the Holy Cross is situated in the White River National Forest in Colorado. The nearest town to Mount of the Holy Cross is Red Cliff, Colorado. The trailhead for this mountain hike is only 14.3 miles from Red Cliff, but the drive takes nearly an hour. Several other mountain peaks are in the area, including New York Mountain and Gold Dust Peak. Mount of the Holy Cross is almost due north of the highest peak in the state, Mount Elbert. You can see that to the southeast, East Cross Creek flows into a body of water called the “Bowl of Tears.”

Denver, Colorado rests only 115 miles from the trailhead. It takes two hours and 35 minutes to drive from Denver to this site.

How did Mount of the Holy Cross get its Name?

On the northeast face of the mountain, there is a “sign from God”. A distinctive snowfield displays a large cross shape on the mountain. This was a powerful experience for early Christian explorers and missionaries. In fact, until William Henry Jackson photographed the marvel on August 24, 1873, the cross was a legend that only a few had witnessed. The myth was made true by this photograph and the religious symbolism of the mountain grew for believers of Manifest Destiny. It was a sign from God, they said, that their efforts to expand their ownership of territory and their missionary work were all done in the service of divinity.

To this day, the Mount of the Holy Cross bears the weight of faith. Yearly pilgrimages up the mountain have occurred since 1934 or before.

Can I Hike the Mountain?

As we mentioned in the previous section, a yearly pilgrimage is made by many people of faith, but the hike is open to the public, as well. This hike is described as highly challenging. AllTrails list the hike as a 10.5-mile out-and-back trail with a 5,524-foot elevation gain. It is contained within the Holy Cross Wilderness – a section of the White River National Forest. The hike takes you over Half Moon Pass and drops into a basin before ascending the mountain.

The site claims it takes an average of nine hours to complete the hike, though this depends greatly on your determination, care, and fitness level. Camping is allowed with a permit, so you don’t have to complete the hike all at once. Remember to leave no trace and follow the local guidelines. Keep all dogs on a hand-held leash that is six feet or less in length. Do not camp within 100 feet of any lake, stream, or trail.

The site also recommends you plan ahead and download maps of the area before attempting the hike. Poor cell service, hard-to-find trail continuations, and thunderstorms are all potentially dangerous factors to be aware of before beginning your journey.

If you don’t want to – or can’t – hike the Mount of the Holy Cross, there are still options for you to observe it. The Mount of the Holy Cross Overlook Observation Site – also called “Julia’s Deck” – provides a stunning view of the mountain. An easy road takes you to the party area, and then you can follow a very short accessible trail to the overlook.