CampV: New West End Wonder is a Nod to History, Art + Community
A visit to Colorado’s West End feels like a step back in time. The region, located between Telluride and Moab, includes the small towns of Nucla, Naturita, Bedrock, Redvale, Paradox and Norwood. While notably rugged and sure-to-be memorable outdoor adventures await here, there’s not much else in the way of entertainment or attractions in this pocket of the state. Or at least, there wasn’t much else until CampV came along …
Just outside of Naturita, the property was originally built by the Vanadium Corp and named Vancorum in 1942 to house in the engineers who worked at the nearby Uranium Mill. As the story goes, it was affectionally called Snob Hill because it’s where the bosses lived.
When the mining operations closed down, the property was bought by local Pam Smith and operated as a year-round residential community until 2017 when it was purchased by Natalie Binder along with Jodie and Bruce Wright. The vision has also been supported by Steamboat Springs’ Four Points Funding as an Opportunity Zone investment.
To honor the past, but also create a new future, the partners renamed it VANcoreOM, or CampV for short.
“My grandmother was the secretary for the Vanadium Corp and so my family lived on the property for a short time when my dad was little,” Binder shares. "When the property came on the market, I knew we had to restore one of the last pieces of history that exists from that era. We knew it was going to be a big endeavor, but we wanted to see this special space preserved and reimagined as a space to create and reset.”
CampV has a mission to connect people, art and community within the area. The reach has already extended well beyond Colorado’s West End; the property has attracted people from all over to come and stay for an experience of unique design, community, service, art, events and outdoor recreation.
Photo by Kim Fuller
As “inspired shelter for the spirited wanderer,” CampV offers a range of accommodation options, from modern cabins and Airstreams to cozy glamping and riverside camping. Depending on the timing of a visit, guests can enjoy peace and quiet, pure relaxation and recreation on their own time, or be on site to experience festivals, live music, art workshops and more. There are property hosts and artists who live at CampV and help run the day-to-day operations, so the community energy seems quite potent for such a remote place.
Through their non-profit, WEarts (wearts.org), CampV is home to experiential installations like The Water Tower, Electric Dandelions and The Prairie Wind Chapel. Paired with the spacious energy of the property, the onsite art definitely helps facilitate creative inspiration.
“The current vision is to continue our mission of bringing art and programming to rural community,” Binder shares. “We will break ground next month on the new public arts space with a grant we received from the Colorado Creative Industries. This space will allow us to expand our programming for guests and public, including music, art showings, classes and community gatherings.”
For those looking to explore the vast land of the West End, trails for hiking and mountain biking can be accessed right from property, and other favorite options within driving distance are The Nucla Loops in Nucla, Burn Canyon in Norwood and Shamrock Trail in Paradox.
All photos courtesy of CampV unless otherwise noted.
Originally published in the Summer 2022 issue of Spoke+Blossom.