Deep under Greenland’s frozen surface sits a vast network of tunnels that once represented one of the most ambitious (and secretive) Cold War projects: Camp Century.
Initially envisioned as the ultimate safe haven and strategic missile base, the subterranean city was part of Project Iceworm, a U.S. military plan to deploy hundreds of nuclear missiles in a concealed location far from prying eyes.
Designed in the late 1950s, Camp Century was constructed within the ice sheet as a potential launchpad for a nuclear strike against the Soviet Union, should Cold War tensions spiral into open conflict.
The facility, known as “Century City,” stretched across nearly three kilometers and was equipped with laboratories, a cinema, a hospital, shops, and housing for hundreds of troops, all buried beneath Arctic ice, per the Atomic Heritage Foundation
But by 1967, just under a decade after its completion, the base was abandoned. Scientists had discovered that Greenland’s ice sheet was not as stable as originally thought, it was slowly shifting, threatening the integrity of the tunnel system, Sky News detailed.
Now, as global tensions rise once again, particularly amid ongoing friction between the U.S., Iran, and Israel, the idea of secure underground shelters is back in public conversation. Could remnants of Cold War bunkers like Camp Century serve a purpose once more?
NASA cryospheric scientist Alex Gardner recently shed light on Camp Century’s hidden legacy after new ice-penetrating radar data revealed the outlines of the long-lost structures. “We were looking for the bed of the ice, and out pops Camp Century,” he said, as reported by The Independent. “We didn’t know what it was at first, the new data shows individual buildings in a way we’ve never seen before.”
However, Camp Century’s legacy comes with complications. While the original nuclear reactor was removed during the site’s closure, thousands of tons of nuclear and chemical waste, equal in mass to about 30 Airbus A320 planes, remain entombed in the ice. The base was built under the assumption that Greenland’s glacier would remain frozen forever. With climate change now rapidly altering that assumption, buried contaminants could eventually resurface, according to the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Still, Camp Century is just one of several subterranean sites built for crisis scenarios.
Subterranea Britannica has detailed numerous other global underground strongholds, including:
- Wood Norton, a secretive network beneath the forests of Worcestershire, England, originally acquired by the BBC during World War II to ensure national broadcasts could continue in the event of a London crisis.
- Peters Mountain, Virginia, one of several classified U.S. facilities known as AT&T "Project Offices," which play key roles in American government continuity planning.
- Raven Rock Mountain Complex, Pennsylvania, a Cold War-era military command center that can house up to 1,400 personnel and is often referred to as “the Underground Pentagon.”
- Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado, a heavily fortified base carved deep into the Rockies, featuring multiple chambers for fuel, water, and reportedly even an underground lake.
While these bunkers offer protection against nuclear strikes, cyberattacks, and other threats, experts warn that no facility is fully immune from the long-term consequences of modern warfare, especially as the climate and geopolitical landscape continue to shift.