Mount of the Holy Cross, Colorado

Mount of the Holy Cross is a mountain within the Rocky Mountain Range. Located in the state of Colorado, it was given this name because of the unique cross-shaped snowfield that sits on its northeast face.

Mount of the Holy Cross is great if you're looking for a secluded Colorado fourteener. The cross itself has a 1,500 foot vertical couloir, which is intersected horizontally by a 750-foot bench. Features such as these usually collect more snow than the rock surrounding it, which makes the cross stick out even more distinctly. You can only see the cross formation from the top of Notch Mountain at an elevation of 13,237 feet. This mountain is located just east of Holy Cross.

In 1869 the mountain was first discovered, after which time it quickly became more well-known. Because of the cross formation, it should be no surprise that Christian pilgrimages were made to the mountain starting in the 1920s. By the 1930s the pilgrimages brought thousands of people to the area.

Both Notch Mountain and Mount of the Holy Cross can be reached by the same trailhead, just north of the mountains.