On Wednesday, the Rocky Mountain Region was honored to host President Biden and Secretary Vilsack for the presidential designation of the newest national monument on National Forest System lands—the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument on the White River National Forest. 

Designating the 53,804-acre Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, located in Colorado’s Eagle River Valley and Tenmile Mountain Range, recognizes the area’s cultural and natural values. Designating national monuments falls under the authority of the American Antiquities Act and can be done by an act of Congress or the president.

Along with its vast expanse of natural beauty, the area is rich with historic significance. These were the ancestral lands of the Ute people and served as important transportation corridors for thousands of years. These lands remain culturally important to the Ute people as spaces to honor their ancestors and to forage for medicinal and ceremonial plants, hunt and fish.  

At 9,200 feet above sea level, Camp Hale served as a high-altitude training facility for the 10th Mountain Division, the U.S. Army’s first and only mountain infantry division, during World War II. After training at Camp Hale, the division deployed to the mountains of Italy and engaged in the Battles of Riva Ridge and Mount Belvedere in 1945, which were key to unlocking the Allied victory in Europe.

In attendance at Wednesday’s ceremony were two division veterans, 100-year-old Francis “Bud” Lovett and 99-year-old Robert Shoyer, who stand as living testament to the contributions their fellow veterans made to our country. After returning from World War II, division veterans applied their experiences and skills to establish America’s skiing and outdoor recreation industry. They founded or managed more than 60 ski resorts upon their return from deployment, some in the same mountains where they had trained. Other veterans from Camp Hale would go on to become trailblazers in conservation and outdoor education and recreation.

White River National Forest sees 15 million visitors a year, and that number is expected to increase with the new national monument, where recreational opportunities abound. The area is world-renowned for its recreation opportunities, including snowmobiling, backcountry skiing, rock climbing and mountain biking. The Forest Service will seek additional resources and opportunities for partners to help manage the area and provide for enhanced visitor services.

The national monument designation builds on years of efforts from the descendants of the 10th Mountain Division; Colorado veterans; federal, state and local elected officials; community members; conservation and outdoor recreation advocates; and local business owners to recognize and preserve this area. To all these people, along with our Tribal partners, veterans, recreationists, and all who value these lands—let us continue to work together as stewards of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument. While its care, protection and preservation are a shared responsibility, the White River National Forest will manage these lands with great respect, pride and integrity. 

Let this new monument be as much of a shared source of pride for all Forest Service employees as it is an honor and a privilege for the Rocky Mountain Region, and especially for those on the White River National Forest, who are charged with the management of this special landscape now and into the future.

Learn more about the history of this area and the 10th Mountain Division by watching this PBS video.

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