National Park Service Founders: Enos Mills

image ofEnos Mills and Rocky Mountain National Park

See For Yourself
Visit some of the most spectacular areas of of Rocky Mountain National Park that inspired Enos Mills including the 14,259 feet, Longs Peak towers above all other summits in Rocky Mountain.

Enos Mills - Father of Rocky Mountain National Park

For Teachers
Rocky Mountain National Park is an ideal outdoor classroom with comprehensive information on planning educational and youth-oriented trips to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Inside Story
Enos A. Mills, at age 15, made his first ascent of the 14,255-foot Longs Peak. Over the course of his life, he made the trip 40 times by himself and nearly 300 additional times as a guide.

People
John Stansfield, storyteller, outdoorsman, and author of a new Millls biography, will present a one-man performance reenacting key moments in the life of Enos Mills. Following the performance, presented in first-person, Chautauqua style, the audience is invited to learn more about Mills in a question-and-answer session. More people...

image of Enos Mills in front of his cabin

Places
The Enos Mills Cabin was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 3, 1973. Enos' son-in-law and daughter transformed the homestead cabin Enos built in 1885 into an informal dedication to Enos' many achievements that have impacted millions of people around the world. More places...

image of a Enos Mills at the dedication of Rocky Mountain National Park

Stories
Learn more about the Enos Mills' friendship with John Muir Muir who urged Mills to take up the study of nature lore and introduced him to the values of national parks which would eventually lead to the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park. More stories...

image of a Thomas Moran painting in Yellowstone National Park

Collections
Thomas Moran's vision of the Western landscape was critical to the creation of national parks. His pencil and watercolor field sketches and paintings captured the grandeur and documented the extraordinary terrain and natural features of great western landscapes. More collections...

Learn More

image of research staff in Rocky Mountain National Park

Preservation
The Continental Divide Research Learning Center staff facilitates research in Rocky Mountain National Park and works with scientists who inventory, monitor, and study park resources such as elk, butterflies, air quality, glaciers, and people. Other staff translate the results of research for the park managers and public and assist with field logistics. More preservation...

Homesteader and lodge keeper Abner Sprague was the first person to pay to enter Rocky Mountain National Park. His fee was $3.