Here was the most powerful man in the world, standing in a brisk autumn wind at Camp Hale wearing aviator sunglasses, proclaiming a natural and cultural victory: the creation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument—53,804 acres of federal land teeming with wildlife and history and world-class recreation, anchored by the former US Army base 22 miles south of Vail. 

“We’re doing this not just for today, but for all the ages,” President Biden said on October 12, 2022, flanked by Gov. Jared Polis and Sen. Michael Bennet, among other dignitaries, as well as dozens of Secret Service agents and a couple hundred attendees who were bused up from Avon. “It’s for the people of Colorado, but it goes well beyond them. It’s for all the people across America and the world. It’s a permanent decision, an action that no future president can overturn.” 

The crowd, which included a large contingent of Eagle County residents, broke into loud applause. The national monument designation builds on years of effort from descendants of the 10th Mountain Division, which famously trained at Camp Hale for winter warfare, as well as Colorado veterans; federal, state, and local elected officials; conservation and outdoor recreation advocates; and local business owners. Originally, Camp Hale’s preservation was part of a larger bill called the CORE Act, but when that stalled in Congress, Biden used his power under the Antiquities Act, the same legislative tool that has helped to protect the Grand Canyon and Statue of Liberty. 

The monument also includes parts of the Tenmile Range in Summit County, but the bulk of it lies between Tennessee and Vail passes. The corridor is a stunning representation of Colorado’s natural splendor and a prime alpine throughway for both the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and the Colorado Trail, which runs from Denver to Durango. It’s also wildly popular among skiers and snowmobilers in winter and ATV and Jeep explorers in summer. 

Despite the splash that Biden’s visit and designation made, however, little has changed on the ground. Someday the Forest Service might build a visitor center or other facilities at Camp Hale (currently there aren’t even restrooms for day users), but for the time being, visitors will have to make do with what already exists: nature and history, of which there are ample supplies. 

Unless, that is, they venture into the 90-acre plot owned and operated by Nova Guides, a local outfitter of nearly 40 years. Nova offers a wide range of guided tours and experiences from its lodge at Camp Hale, which also has a full restaurant and bar. As it happens, just a week before Biden’s visit, Nova’s founders sold their business to global hospitality firm Delaware North, owned by the same family that owns the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Under Delaware North, Nova continues as it did before, sharing the area’s history as part of its tours. So far, at least, employees say they haven’t seen a spike in interest due to the monument. But that could change this summer. 

Camp Hale has evolved substantially twice: The first time was in 1942, when 1,000 buildings were constructed in seven months, enough to house 15,000 soldiers; and later when most of that infrastructure was torn down, returning the Pando Valley to at least a semblance of its former self. Much has been written about the 676-bed hospital that used to exist there, and the elite skiers and soldiers who trained to beat the Nazis—then went over to Europe and did just that. But Camp Hale and its surrounding landscape is very much the same as it’s ever been, an icon to the past, now with a protected future. 

“I was guiding a group last year and sharing some of Camp Hale’s history when a young man told me he was currently serving in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in New York,” Nova Senior Guide Shane Murphy recalls. “He wasn’t aware this was where it originated, but he was fascinated. People appreciate the place a lot more once they realize the history behind it.”

A Visitor’s Guide to Camp Hale

The ways in which you can explore the national monument are almost endless. For motorized adventures, Nova Guides offers Jeep, ATV, and side-by-side (essentially souped-up ATVs with bucket seats and a roof) tours. Guides transport you from your lodging to Camp Hale, where you’ll venture out for three hours (Jeep) or two hours (ATV, side-by-side) on a 50-mile network of double-track roads, with lunch to follow. 

Most tours head up Resolution Creek Road (“Reso”) to a stunning alpine ridge with 360-degree views stretching from the Gore Range to Machine Gun Ridge (a Camp Hale training site) to Mounts Elbert and Massive—the two highest peaks in the state. Nova also offers guided archery programs ($50/hour) and fly-fishing clinics including three hours on the outfit’s private pond, which holds trout up to 22 inches. Sales Manager Nate Caretto is hoping to debut a package this summer that includes a guided tour at Camp Hale followed by lunch, then a tour of the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail Village, and a drink at 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Co. 

For unguided experiences at the monument, you can rent ATVs and side-by-sides from Nova or set out on foot or in your own vehicle and take the self-guided tour of 10 interpretive signs posted around the base. Mountain bikers can access two primo high-alpine segments of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and Colorado Trail that pass through the monument (the two share the same singletrack): Tennessee Pass to Copper Mountain, and Copper to Gold Hill over the Tenmile Range. Overnighting? Nova rents cabins for up to six people (two-night minimum required), and the Camp Hale Memorial Campground (recreation.gov) includes 21 sites within walking distance of the CDT, open through September. —D.O.