Holy Cross City - Colorado Ghost Town

HOLY CROSS CITY

NAME: Holy Cross City
COUNTY: Eagle
ROADS: 4WD (8.5 rated)- Dont even try it in any stock vehicle and dont go alone.
LEGAL INFO: 5
CLIMATE: Heavy winter snows, cool summers
BEST TIME TO VISIT: July until 1st 2 weeks in sept

COMMENTS: Hwy 24 10 miles s. of Minturn or 11 miles north of Tennesse Pass. Turn at sign stating Blodgett Campground,Gold Park. Proceed 8 mi on unpaved road to large turnout with sign showing mileages to Hunky Dory Lake and Holy Cross City. 4wd only road continues and becomes increasingly difficult. 4miles one way. 2000 ft elev. gain. allow 2.5 - 3hrs one way. nice side trail goes to lakes. high point is 11,500 ft. Stongly suggest hike rather than 4wd from the turnout spot.(Update 9/99, Harold Frodge) Take Homestake Rd. #703 off US-24 about half-way between I-70 and Leadville. This is also called the Gold Park Rd. because of the Gold Park campground. Just before the campground, there is a parking area on the right. A trail leads up the mountain and a sign says 3.8 miles to Holy Cross City. DO NOT take your SUV up this trail (I ran into a jeepster who bailed out). You can get a bit closer for 2-legged drive to the site. Go on past the campground and take the next right. Follow this good gravel road 2 miles till it ends at a T. Turn right past the trailhead parking area and go 1.0 mi. till the trail splits. Take the right trail and go 0.8 mi. to a wide area. Park here. The last 1.8 mi. are a bit rough but should be negotiable by 2WD. Two trails lead out of the parking area. The one to the left (the better looking one) ends after a short distance. Take the right trail. After a short distance, it T's into the jeep trail coming up from the Gold Park Rd. From here, it is approx. 2.5 mi. to Holy Cross City up the trail. At about the 1.5 mi. point, the trail splits. A post indicates HCC to the left (uphill). The first thing you come to is a collection of mining equipment in front of a mine. The town site is a little further up the trail above the mine. There are two completely intact cabins, one with a bunk bed rack. There are also a few collapsed cabins widely scattered. The area to the left of the cabins is a bit swampy. The setting is great!
REMAINS: A few empty cabins. much equipment remains like boilers and a shaker table. numerous miles and tailings above townsite. caution around open mine openings. weather changes fast. get an early start-especially in summer due to t-storms.

Town exsisted from 1880 to 1884 with a population of 300. short boom in the 1890's revieved town briefly. holy cross mountain not visible from townsite. Submitted by: Gary Hecksel

The trail was built to supply the City and was used until 1883 when the mines played out. I don't have any other information at this time. Submitted by: Mike Otte

Holy Cross Sign at Start of Trail
Todd Underwood