High up in the Rockies, Camp Hale — Continental Divide National Monument was once a World War II combat training ground for ski troopers preparing for conditions in the Italian Alps. It may no longer serve that purpose, but the name lives on. And, if you look hard enough, you might see traces in the outlines of old structures and climbing rocks used by the 10th Mountain Division.

After the war ended, many veterans who’d once trained here returned to establish more than 60 renowned ski resorts including Vail, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, and Arapahoe Basin — launching skiing’s popularity as a sport.

Camp Hale’s monument designation ensures important protection of its 50,000+ acres of habitat for elk, lynx, songbirds, and other rare wildlife and plants from development. 

“When you think about the natural beauty of Colorado … you find it here,” the president said, referring to our country’s national parks and other public lands as “treasures and wonders that define the identity of us as a nation.”