Holy Cross Wilderness Area

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the Holy Cross Wilderness, this process began in 1980 when 126,000 acres were designated by Public Law 96-560. The Holy Cross Wilderness contains a total of 122,884 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of Colorado.

The Holy Cross Wilderness is part of the 106 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. This system of wild lands contributes significantly to the ecological, economic, and social health of the state of Colorado, and the United States as a whole.

Wilderness provides clean air and water, a shelter for endangered species, sacred places for indigenous peoples, a living laboratory for research, and a classroom for exploring personal values while experiencing risk, reward, and self-reliance.

In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, horse packing, bird watching, stargazing, and extraordinary opportunities for solitude.

In an age of "...increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization," you play an important role in helping to "secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" as called for by the Congress of the United States through the Wilderness Act of 1964.