Family Field Trip National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior Enos Mills Exploration Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado
Plan and Prepare: Welcome! This family field trip guide provides an opportunity for parents and their students to Always follow the explore Rocky Mountain National Park and connect learning to Colorado State Educational guidance of the CDC, Standards. While each activity is listed as a specific grade level, the whole family can participate. local and state authorities Parents are encouraged to read the additional resources and bring the materials listed so that they when planning your can support their students’ learning. During busy times, arriving early avoids crowds. activities. th Check current road and Supported Grade Level Standard: 4 Grade Social Studies 1.2 Analyze historical time periods and patterns of continuity and change." weather conditions in the " park and be prepared for the weather. Objective: Students will compare and contrast 3 aspects of their life with the life of Enos Mills. Download a map of the Duration: 30 - 60 min park here. Location: Longs Peak trailhead Materials: Enos Mills Photos (below), notebook or Comparison Chart (below, optional) and a pencil/pen Respect Wildlife: Engage: Take a look at Longs Peak, the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. Now, Watch wildlife from a imagine climbing that mountain and then constructing your own cabin nearby at the age of 15. How distance. Never feed easy do you think these tasks were for a 15 year old? What if I told you that a 15 year old actually animals. did climb Longs Peak and build a cabin here, and his name was Enos Mills, one of the most well- known figures in Rocky Mountain National Park’s history?
Dispose of Waste Explore: It’s time to explore just like Enos Mills did! Hike along the Longs Peak trailhead with your Properly: student, as far as you like. Prepare to stop three times and discuss different aspects of Enos Mills’ Use restrooms or step life with your student. Use the attached photographs as resources. At Stop #1, discuss away from the trail and transportation. Enos Mills traveled to Colorado in 1884, before automobiles were invented. He took bury waste at least 6 a train from Kansas to Colorado and then likely traveled by horse and buggy in Estes Park. How does inches deep. Carry out all that compare to how you traveled to Rocky Mountain National Park today? At Stop #2, discuss trash including toilet logging. In the 1800s, there were multiple logging operations in Rocky Mountain National Park’s paper. current boundaries. Enos Mills wanted to create RMNP to protect the trees and other natural resources. How would RMNP look different had its trees not been protected? How might your hike look different today? At Stop #3, discuss how Enos Mills lived. He built a cabin in Estes Park, which Leave What You had no electricity or running water. How does that compare to your home? What would it have Find: been like to live here during Enos Mills’ time? This includes rocks, Explain: While hiking, students have the option to record their comparisons between Enos Mills’ pinecones, and flowers. time and present day. They can use the attached table or draw their own in a notebook. How is the park different now compared to when Enos Mills was here? How is it still the same? What may have happened to this area if Enos Mills never traveled here and advocated for its preservation? Be Considerate of Explain to your student that Enos Mills is known as the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park” Other Visitors: because he helped create the park to preserve its natural resources. Share the trail and use quiet voices. Elaborate: Optionally, you can chose to add a visit to Enos Mills’ preserved cabin and museum (a privately owned site) on Hwy 7 to further discuss his living situation and his life.
Evaluate: After finishing your hike and/or returning home, have your student reflect upon Enos Mills’ story. Why did Mills work so hard to help create Rocky Mountain National Park? Name some of the resources he wanted to protect (mountains, plants, wildlife, water resources, etc.). What natural resources do you feel are most in need of protection? Ask your student to brainstorm some ways that they can help protect and preserve Rocky Mountain National Park, just like Enos Mills did! Family Field Trip National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior Enos Mills Exploration Rocky Mountain National Park
Colorado
A horse and wagon in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado NPS Photo, Rocky Mountain National Park Historical Collection Enos Mills traveled from Kansas to Colorado by train. He arrived in Estes Park in 1884. The automobile wasn’t invented until 1885, so Mills likely traveled around Estes Park by horse and wagon. How does this compare to the mode of transportation you used to travel to Rocky Mountain National Park today? Family Field Trip National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior Enos Mills Exploration Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado
Hidden Valley logging operation NPS Photo
This is a logging operation in Hidden Valley during the late 1800s. When Enos Mills was settling in the area, there were multiple logging operations within current Rocky Mountain National Park boundaries. How would this area look different if many of the trees had been removed? Family Field Trip National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior Enos Mills Exploration Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado
Enos Mills standing in the entryway of his cabin USGS Photo
Enos Mills constructed his own cabin near Estes Park. It was considered “modern” at the time because he used glass windows, a tin roof, and a stove for heat instead of a fireplace. Enos had no running water or electricity in his cabin. How does that compare to your home? Family Field Trip National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior Enos Mills Exploration Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado
How does your life compare to Enos Mills’?
Compare:
Transportation
Logging/Natural Resources of RMNP
Homes and Electricity