Camp Hale was where the 10th Mountain Division learned to fight in the snow

Drive US Highway 24 south from Minturn toward Leadville and you pass through a wide, flat valley called Pando. It looks empty now, but during World War II it held Camp Hale, the high-altitude base where the Army trained the 10th Mountain Division, its mountain-and-winter infantry.

The setting was the point. At more than 9,000 feet, with deep snow and steep walls, the valley let soldiers learn to ski, climb, and survive in the cold before they shipped out. After the war, many of those veterans came back to Colorado and helped build the ski industry that places like Vail are now known for. That thread runs straight from the camp to the resorts down the valley.

Today the site is part of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, on the White River National Forest. You can still see foundations and remnants on the valley floor, and the Forest Service offers a driving tour and interpretive material.

One practical note: the valley was an active military training ground, so old munitions can remain in the ground in places. The Forest Service asks visitors to stay on established routes and to leave any suspicious object alone rather than touch it.

To plan a respectful visit and check current access and safety guidance, start with the White River National Forest’s Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument page.