James Edward Mills is a contributor to National Geographic magazine, a fellow of the Mountain & Wilderness Writing Program of the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, and a recipient of the Paul K. Petzoldt Award for Environmental Education and the American Alpine Club’s H. Adams Carter Literary Award. In a career that spans more than 30 years, Mills specializes in sharing stories about outdoor recreation and environmental conservation. He has worked in the outdoor industry since 1989 as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer and photographer. He is the author of the new book “The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors” and the co-writer/co-producer of the documentary film “An American Ascent.”

In addition to National Geographic, Mills is a contributor to several outdoor-focused print and online publications, including Outside, Rock & Ice, Alpinist, Condé Nast Travel, Elevation Outdoors, Park Advocate, High Country News, Appalachia Journal, The Guardian, and The New York Times. In recognition of his work sharing the important history and legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and their efforts at the dawn of the National Park Service, Mills was named a Yosemite National Park Centennial Ambassador in 2016. In 2020, his book “The Adventure Gap” was named by Outside Magazine as one of the 10 “Outdoor Books that Shaped the Last Decade.”

Photo by Mark Thiessen