Half Moon Pass Trailhead

Location

RangeSawatch Range

Elevation10,320'

Lat/Lon39.50054, -106.43318

14ersMt. of the Holy Cross

Road Difficulty

1 2WD, easy dirt

2WD dirt to the TH.

Driving Directions

From Interstate 70, take Exit 171 and follow U.S. 24 to Minturn. Continue 3 miles and turn right (west) onto the Tigiwon dirt road. The road is a bit rugged but most cars can usually make it to the trailhead. Drive 8.5 miles to reach the trailhead, at the end of the road. IMPORTANT: The Tigiwon road is closed each year between November 22nd and June 21st but biking or hiking the road is allowed. If you plan on heading there around the time of the road opening, please contact the Holy Cross office of the US Forest Service Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District at 970-827-5715 to see when they will be opening the gate.

On-Site Info

ParkingRoom for ~20 vehicles at the trailhead and then people start parking along the road.

CampingSmall campground at the trailhead or you can pack into the wilderness.

Restrooms?Yes

Fees?No

Photos

Winter Access

The Tigiwon road is usually closed on November 22nd each year but snow accumulation may cause it to be closed earlier. The winter closure is near the start of the road.

Trailhead added by BillMiddlebrook

Status Updates
Map


7/3/2023 Posted On: 7/3/2023 By: meltedavocado Info: Made it up in my Honda Fit no large ruts or obstacles. Just the usual potholes, rocks, bumps, etc. Clearance is nice but (clearly) not necessary!
10/2/2022 Posted On: 10/2/2022 By: colin j Info: Campground is closed for season and toilet is locked. Road has some muddy spots but otherwise open and clear.
9/10/2022 Posted On: 9/19/2022 By: MattDelSur Info: Made it from Minturn to the trailhead in a low-rider Toyota Prius. Drive time was probably 30+ minutes. The road is in good shape. If you're in a truck, suv, etc., you can probably get up there in half the time. The only really bad spot was at the Tigwon Community House.
8/22/2022 Posted On: 9/5/2022 By: GuiGirard Info: Good road overall for any vehicle, but it is quite narrow with lots of switchbacks. Do not underestimate driving time. I did not find any specific deterioration of the road past the cabin. Plenty of good dispersed campsites all along the road at all elevations.
8/2/2022 Posted On: 8/2/2022 By: Istoodupthere Info: 8.3 miles up the dirt road to the trailhead. Had a rental Chrysler Pacifica (not by choice) with 5.1 inches of clearance. Made it with no issue. Lot was close to full when I left at 5:30pm. Road is pretty narrow
7/23/2022 Posted On: 7/25/2022 By: Split_the_FR Info: Road to get to the trailhead is in great shape. I did it with a 2017 outback but I'm sure any 2WD vehicle would be able to make it up. Arrived at 6:15 AM, lot was full but there was plenty of parking on the side of the road. Had to pass some folks on the way back down the road which was not difficult to maneuver.
7/4/2022 Posted On: 7/4/2022 By: scottieconqueso Info: Road in good shape, just narrow in spots. Trailhead outhouse well stocked with toilet paper and there was still some hand sanitizer available.
6/27/2022 Posted On: 6/28/2022 By: rudi32 Info: Rough & Narrow 2WD
6/23/2022 Posted On: 6/23/2022 By: mtngoatwithstyle Info: Road is in pretty good shape and a little bit rocky right before the community house. With careful driving pointy rocks can be avoided. I would expect that with rain coming the road will change and ruts will start showing.
6/21/2022 Posted On: 6/21/2022 By: jeffh7 Info: I just called the USFS Holy Cross Ranger District office and they informed me that the road is open for the season. I plan on camping there tonight, so I'll update tomorrow evening if there are any issues.			1
5/26/2022 Posted On: 5/27/2022 By: RWSchaffer Info: Tigiwon Road is still closed to motorized vehicles at winter closure, about 8 miles below the trailhead. There is no snow and minimal mud until the community house, about two miles below the trailhead. Just above the community house, several sections of road are covered by unavoidable snow that is as much as shin deep. Mud increases with increased snow. The road is generally in good condition with minimal wash-out from melting snow and only a few downed trees, so it is no surprise that bike tracks reach the trailhead. Cyclists will have to carry their rides for a total of a few hundred feet through the deepest snow.
12/7/2021 Posted On: 12/7/2021 By: BillMiddlebrook Info: Road is closed for the winter
9/27/2021 Posted On: 9/28/2021 By: JasonCrane Info: 707/Notch Mountain Road is rough, but saw a number of vehicles including my Ford Escape reach the TH without many issues. As previously stated, the road deteriorates significantly at the community house. Typical "washboarding," small protruding rocks & some potholes up to that point. Shake 'n bake & you should be okay. Use your best judgment. According to my GPS, road ascends ~2k feet to TH.
8/25/2021 Posted On: 9/10/2021 By: V1per41 Info: Road was in good shape. I was able to make it to the top in a stock Subaru WRX with minimal issues. Road is definitely rougher past the community house.
8/5/2021 Posted On: 8/6/2021 By: rcpelikan Info: Made it to the top easily in a 2wd stock Ford Focus. The road was in better condition than, for example, Shavano/Tabeguache and Fourmile Creek. Agree with Evan below that there are areas that look questionable, but you get over them just by being slow and deliberate. This was a busy trailhead for a Thursday and I was struck by the narrow width of the road in several sections.

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