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Delaware North acquires Colorado outdoor recreation and adventure tour company Nova Guides and Camp Hale Weddings

Hospitality and entertainment company set to become one of the largest operators of winter outdoor recreation and adventure tours in the United States

RED CLIFF, Colo., and BUFFALO, N.Y. (Oct. , 2022) – Global hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North today announced the acquisition of Red Cliff, Colo.,-based Nova Guides, a full-service premier outdoor recreation and adventure tour company with exclusive wedding and lodging offerings. The purchase makes Delaware North one of the largest operators of winter outdoor recreation and adventure tours in the United States.

Perfectly situated near Vail, Colo., Nova Guides’ expansive grounds include a main lodge featuring a restaurant and retail shop, as well as a selection of lodging offerings, including three two-bedroom cabins, one five-bedroom house and one two-bedroom house.

In operation for more than 35 years, Nova Guides is well known for its summer ATV/UTV guided tours and rentals, winter snowmobile and snow coach guided tours and rentals, and private fly fishing and archery instruction. The tours operate under special permits in and around the White River National Forest, with Nova Guides having access to 55,000 acres of remote and scenic forest land, allowing adventurers to customize their itinerary according to personal preference.
 
img_1923-3989540On the campus, Delaware North will also operate Camp Hale Weddings, a highly popular destination wedding business located on 80 privately held acres. The wedding experience includes the unique, “Ceremony Island,” an exclusive site positioned on a man-made lake set against majestic views of the Rocky Mountains. The location is renowned for its rich history dating back to World War II where it served as the former training grounds of the 10th Mountain Division.
 
“Today’s outdoor recreational guest is looking for genuine experiences that are personalized and meaningful,” said Scott Socha, group president of Delaware North’s Parks and Resorts division. “Our existing portfolio of unique tour and adventure offerings is well-positioned for continued growth, and the addition of this unique full-service experience reflects our optimism about the future of outdoor recreation and adventure travel.”

The growing Delaware North portfolio of dynamic adventure tour offerings, now across four destinations, helps travelers experience the very best of the great outdoors. The company’s current tours collection includes Yellowstone Vacation Tours, the largest outdoor recreation and adventure tour company operating in Yellowstone National Park in Montana, along with a variety of offerings outside of Yosemite National Park in California and also on the coast of Lake Erie in Ohio. 

The acquisition will also expand Delaware North’s existing footprint in Colorado, where the company owns and operates The Ridgeline Hotel Estes Park® and Trendz at the Park retail store in Estes Park, a popular Rocky Mountain National Park gateway community. Delaware North’s Travel division also operates several dining concepts at Denver International Airport, including the award-winning Denver Central Market since it opened in 2018.

The Nova Guides complex will be operated by Delaware North’s Parks and Resorts division, which owns and operates hotels and other lodging experiences, primarily inside and nearby national and state parks and cultural attractions. The portfolio includes nearly 25 lodging locations in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, representing more than 3,000 lodging units. In addition to lodging, the company operates food, beverage, and retail services, recreational activities, and educational programming at many of the same locations.
 
As a global leader in the hospitality and entertainment industry, Delaware North is committed to sustainability and responsible stewardship. Its proprietary GreenPath® platform helps organize and accelerate efforts throughout the company to reduce its environmental impact.