Colorado hiker stumbles across WWII-era land mine in forest near former US Army training facility

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A Colorado hiker discovered a forgotten land mine while trekking through a forest near an old U.S. Army training facility used during World War II, authorities said Tuesday.

The hiker, who was only identified as being from the Denver area, found what he believed to be an old training land mine while hiking near Camp Hale on July 20, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office said.

He took care to stay clear and avoid tampering with the mine while photographing the device and documenting its location for authorities, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Fort Carson was deployed and destroyed the device.

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The land mine was a training device left over from the 10th Mountain Division that was stationed at Camp Hale during World War II, officials said. (Eagle County Sheriff’s Office)

“The Team wanted to relay that even training devices can be dangerous and could cause serious injury or death if tampered with,” the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office warned that even training devices should not be tampered with as they can still cause serious injury or death. (Eagle County Sheriff’s Office)

Officials confirmed the device was left behind from training exercises for the 10th Mountain Division that was stationed at Camp Hale during World War II.

Built in 1942, the training facility was home to as many as 14,000 soldiers who were trained in skiing, mountain climbing, and how to survive and fight in winter conditions.

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The camp’s open valley was large enough to hold more than 1,000 buildings and structures, including parade grounds and weapons ranges, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Camp Hale served as a training facility for mountain and winter warfare during World War II. (Glen Martin/The Denver Post via Getty Images, File)

Camp Hale was operational for just three years, until November 1945, when the 10th Mountain Division relocated to Texas. The camp was officially declared a national monument in October 2022.

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The sheriff’s office said it has received reports over the years of leftover equipment being found at Camp Hale. Officials warned visitors to be aware of their surrounding and report sightings of suspicious items to the sheriff’s office.