Our Day With Nova Guides

For the adrenaline-seeker in the family, Nova offers both guided and unguided ATV tours. We recommend doing a guided ATV tour, especially if it’s your first time. The knowledgeable and fun guides know the best trails and can bring you to all the secret spots.

ATVs were first on the list for us. We geared up and grabbed a side-by-side as well as an ATV and headed out on the trail network, passing through historic Camp Hale. The ride on the ATVs was exhilarating. Zipping around the winding trails with that cool mountain breeze has to be one of the best feelings in the world. Our first destination was a beautiful waterfall accessed by a short hike from the ATV. The grotto-esque area of the waterfall was well worth the short hike. We took pictures of the abundant wildflowers and enjoyed the cool waters. Getting back on the ATVs, we headed towards a scenic overlook of Mt. of the Holy Cross. We took turns driving and enjoyed both smooth dirt roads and challenging rocky sections of the trail. Everything was lush and the wildflowers were in full bloom! After a 20-minute ride we were taking in the vista of Mt. of the Holy Cross and the northern part of the Sawatch Mountain Range. The sweeping panoramic views were unparalleled.

We headed to the high point of the day, once again enjoying beautiful views, abundant wildflowers, and fast times on the ATVs. After a short stop at the top we turned around and headed back toward the lodge for lunch. The post and beam style of the lodge is gorgeous; the vaulted ceilings and spacious floorplan makes this place perfect for a big party. They also have a patio area where you can grab some grub or crack open a cold one and enjoy the sweeping views. We enjoyed a yummy lunch from the full-service restaurant and then headed out for an afternoon of fly fishing.

Learning to cast a fly can be an arduous task. Our guide, Spoon, helped the newbies learn how to cast with a 15-minute dry land casting clinic. By the end of the clinic, our new fly fisherwomen were ready to wet some lines! Nova keeps a stocked pond that is available only to guests of the lodge and is dedicated to fly fishing only. Fish must be returned to the water, meaning there are always plenty of hungry fish to cast your flies to! We were all able to catch a fish with Spoon’s help; even the newbies caught something! They loved the rush of the trout ripping line off their reels and “dancing” with the fish. Spoon showed us the proper fish handling technique and we were able to get some “Instagram worthy” photos.

After catching a couple more fish, we retired the rods for the day and headed out to our next adventure—a Jeep tour of Camp Hale. The Jeeps offered a relaxed sitting area above the rest of the vehicle with padded seats as well as seatbelts. Truly a unique and cool way to see the sights without having to focus on the road. Nova Guides can stock your cooler up with beer, wine, and snacks for this adventure, so you can really kick your feet up and relax (which we highly recommend). We were shown the old shooting range, mess halls, mule bars, and where the barracks used to be. Then we drove high into the alpine above tree line and were able to see some dramatic, sweeping views of the surrounding mountains.

Nova Guides’ qualified and friendly staff are ready to give you and your family the experience of a lifetime. ATV tours are ideal for those looking for a little excitement with a throttle, fly fishing is great for the newbie who wants to give it a try, and Jeep tours are perfect for the family that wants a laid-back experience with stunning views. Our day with Nova Guides was alternately adrenaline-inducing, relaxing, full of rich history, and chock-full of new experiences and memories that we will never forget!

Save 10 percent and book your adventure-filled day with Nova Guides below or call 719-486-2656 and mention BGV10 to received your discount.