Holy Cross City is a ghost town in Eagle County, Colorado at about 3,483 m (11,427 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 19.5 km (12.1 mi) SSW of Minturn.
Holy Cross City (also known as Holy Cross) is an extinct town located in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. Holy Cross City got its name from Mount of the Holy Cross, located nearby. The Holy Cross post office operated from January 23, 1882, until February 8, 1899, and from December 7, 1904, until August 7, 1905. Presently, the former townsite is located along Holy Cross City Trail within Holy Cross Wilderness, part of White River National Forest. The Mount of the Holy Cross is not visible from the townsite.From the Wikipedia article “Holy Cross City, Colorado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Holy Cross City the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:46 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 24m |
Local time (America/Denver), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Holy Cross City, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 36 | 34 | 55 | 61 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -26 | -34 | -23 | -12 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 10 | -7 | -29 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Holy Cross City, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
Mountain Pass
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gold Park Campground3.8 km (2.4 mi)
- Tigiwon Community House13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Camp Hale Memorial14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- May Queen15.7 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Camp Hale East Fork Group16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Holy Cross City?
What time is golden hour at Holy Cross City?
Where does the sun rise and set at Holy Cross City?
Can you see the Milky Way from Holy Cross City?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Holy Cross City?
How far is Holy Cross City from Minturn?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.