The Father of Rocky Mountain National Park

Mills Lake is among the popular hiking destinations in the Bear Lake area. It's named for Enos Mills, the man commonly referred to as the "father of Rocky Mountain National Park". Mills became the area's first naturalist, and made great contributions to the field that would eventually lead to the profession of interpretive park rangers. He also established a guide service that led tourists to the summit of Longs Peak. At the age of 15 he made his first ascent of the park's highest peak, and over the course of his life would make the trip 40 times by himself, and nearly 300 times as a guide. The photo below shows a very young Mills (on the right) making that first ascent in 1885.

Mills most significant contribution, however, was spending numerous years lecturing across the nation, lobbying Congress, and writing thousands of letters and articles that would eventually lead to the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park on January 26, 1915.

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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world: