Hiker stumbles across forgotten land mine in forest, Colorado sheriff says

A hiker discovered a leftover training land mine near Camp Hale National Monument, Colorado officials reported.

The Denver area man carefully photographed the mine and documented its location, but did not tamper with it, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 15 news release.

The mine was found July 20 at Camp Hale National Monument, officials said.

The camp is a former U.S. Army training facility built in 1942 for the 10th Mountain Division.

An explosives disposal team from Fort Carson destroyed the land mine, which appeared to have been left behind from training exercises at the camp, sheriff’s officials said.

“Even training devices can be dangerous and could cause serious injury or death if tampered with,” officials warned.

Sheriff’s officials advised anyone hiking at Camp Hale National Monument to be aware of their surroundings as there are periodic reports of leftover equipment.

They ask that anyone finding old equipment at the former base document its location and contact the sheriff’s office.

Camp Hale National Monument is about 115 miles southwest of Denver.

This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Hiker stumbles across forgotten land mine in forest, Colorado sheriff says."