Good campsite that’s close to Mount of Holy Cross

[efry690]

Group of 4 doing Holy Cross this Sunday. Where is a good place to camp that’s near the trailhead for the standard route? We plan to camp Saturday night and leave early Sunday morning for the hike. Is it first come/first serve? We probably can’t get to campsite until 3:00 pm. Thanks in advance for your help!

Eric

[Imcp]

Half-Moon Campground is at the Holy-Cross trailhead. It's 15 dollars a night plus 5 dollars per extra car with a checkout time of noon, cash or check only. I was up there Friday afternoon through Saturday evening a week and a half ago and most sites were open. A few people came in after dark and there were still open spots. Seems like the price is high enough that most people will do dispersed camping a few miles down the Tigiwon road or backpack in to the free sites at East Cross Creek. 3 pm is probably better if you're arriving Saturday because people hiking Saturday may end up back at camp later than noon and you can snipe a spot as people are packing up if things are filled up.

[efry690]

Great info there! Thanks for taking the time to help us out. Have a great night!

[Imcp]

You're welcome!

[Shawnee Bob]

If you want to camp for free and away from the overnight crowds, hike over Halfmoon Pass and into the Cross Creek area at the base of the mountain. You can filter water there, and make for the summit in the morning while cutting the distance and elevation gain.

[cougar]

There's a clearing for car camping a couple miles before the trailhead. Free and I was the only one there on a July 4 weekend. A few other open spots along the road due to logging. YMMV.

[wmanke13]

Happy Friday all!

I am reviving this thread to inquire about camping options near MotHC. My girlfriend and I are interested in camping/hiking MotHC tomorrow, Saturday 08/04, but work keeps us in Denver until mid-afternoon. How many dispersed camping options are there along the Tigiwon road? Assuming we can get out of Denver by 3:00pm, are we SOL for any of these spots? Since we don't have the proper gear to pack into the wilderness (yet), does anyone know of some other nearby dispersed camping options we can use as backup just in case?

Thanks in advance!

[madmattd]

Happy Friday all!

I am reviving this thread to inquire about camping options near MotHC. My girlfriend and I are interested in camping/hiking MotHC tomorrow, Saturday 08/04, but work keeps us in Denver until mid-afternoon. How many dispersed camping options are there along the Tigiwon road? Assuming we can get out of Denver by 3:00pm, are we SOL for any of these spots? Since we don't have the proper gear to pack into the wilderness (yet), does anyone know of some other nearby dispersed camping options we can use as backup just in case?

Thanks in advance!

I drove up there a couple Fridays ago, hitting the start of the road around 10pm. The trailhead was packed already - I parked ~1/10mi from the main lot. There's a fair number of dispersed spots, most were full at that point but I feel like I saw a couple still open at that time. There's spots scattered all along the ~8mi road.

[wmanke13]

Happy Friday all!

I am reviving this thread to inquire about camping options near MotHC. My girlfriend and I are interested in camping/hiking MotHC tomorrow, Saturday 08/04, but work keeps us in Denver until mid-afternoon. How many dispersed camping options are there along the Tigiwon road? Assuming we can get out of Denver by 3:00pm, are we SOL for any of these spots? Since we don't have the proper gear to pack into the wilderness (yet), does anyone know of some other nearby dispersed camping options we can use as backup just in case?

Thanks in advance!

I drove up there a couple Fridays ago, hitting the start of the road around 10pm. The trailhead was packed already - I parked ~1/10mi from the main lot. There's a fair number of dispersed spots, most were full at that point but I feel like I saw a couple still open at that time. There's spots scattered all along the ~8mi road.

Thanks for the information! Seems we shouldn't have much problem securing a site if we get out of Denver at a decent hour. I-70 might have something to say about that...

[madmattd]

Happy Friday all!

I am reviving this thread to inquire about camping options near MotHC. My girlfriend and I are interested in camping/hiking MotHC tomorrow, Saturday 08/04, but work keeps us in Denver until mid-afternoon. How many dispersed camping options are there along the Tigiwon road? Assuming we can get out of Denver by 3:00pm, are we SOL for any of these spots? Since we don't have the proper gear to pack into the wilderness (yet), does anyone know of some other nearby dispersed camping options we can use as backup just in case?

Thanks in advance!

I drove up there a couple Fridays ago, hitting the start of the road around 10pm. The trailhead was packed already - I parked ~1/10mi from the main lot. There's a fair number of dispersed spots, most were full at that point but I feel like I saw a couple still open at that time. There's spots scattered all along the ~8mi road.

Thanks for the information! Seems we shouldn't have much problem securing a site if we get out of Denver at a decent hour. I-70 might have something to say about that...

Do note that every weekend seems to be different on the camping availability front. But you're likely OK if you're getting onto the road at 3pm, minus the I-70 effect as you mentioned.

Consider Halo Ridge if you're up for the extra mileage and abundant extra talus-hopping. The views are much better!

Good luck!