Jeff Mow has dedicated his life to the National Park Service. He discovered his interest in the national parks as most do: on vacation when he was a kid. His parents toted him along on family vacations to parks around California, and after a formative educational experience program in Yosemite National Park as an eighth grader, he was hooked. He’d go on to study geology and environmental education in college, and end up working for the NPS in Alaska for 24 years.
After his stint far up north, Jeff took on what he calls “the culmination of his career” in his position as the superintendent for Glacier National Park. His term in the role was an eventful one, marked with managing the response to three large fires — and the rebuilding of the historic Sperry Chalet after it was destroyed in one of them; navigating a global pandemic; and exploring the new normal for the park with the implementation of the vehicle reservation system that is now used to help manage the influx of visitors.
Through it all, Jeff ensured that Glacier remained a place for people to enjoy the outdoors and all the camping, hiking, biking, fishing and boating it has to offer.
Jeff retired in 2021. Through his fruitful career in the NPS, Jeff came to learn — and wants visitors to understand — that the stories NPS sites have to tell are as valuable as the remarkable natural landscapes they preserve.
“National parks offer a lens into the culture and heritage of the United States, because when you look at the NPS system as a whole, it does represent a lot of the country’s heritage in terms of how it came to be, and the stories it has to tell.” -Jeff
Glacier National Park features not only some of the most breathtaking views this side of the Rockies, but a rich cultural heritage. For Jeff, the story of the Blackfeet people and their connection to the land is deeply intertwined with the park itself. Because of this, he took great pride in the relationship he fostered with the people who nourished, tended and held sacred the land long before it became the destination it is today.
Jeff worked closely with tribal leaders throughout his tenure to ensure that the Blackfeet Nation and the park were able to have a symbiotic relationship, with one helping the other. Together, they were able to support the return of bison to their native landscapes as part of the Iinnii Project, an initiative aiming to reintroduce bison as free-range animals on the reservation.
The NPS system has created an accessible way for people around the world to not only experience the beauty and grandeur of our country, but also for people to learn about the stories that have shaped us as Americans. Stories that are intrinsic to who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. Stories like Jeff’s work to strengthen the ties between Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Nation, and the surrounding communities that rely on the economic benefits of visitors and revel in the outdoors.
Jeff hopes that national parks across the country continue to play that role for people. He’s seen firsthand how a breathtaking landscape can change someone’s perspective, in both his own life and other people’s lives. He’s witnessed people come into the parks and be willing to shed biases and open their minds. The powerful scenery allows for people to see things like park management and culture with fresh eyes.
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Now, after 33 years of service and in his well-deserved retirement, Jeff is still keeping busy.
“I also like to ski.” - Jeff laughs
He and his wife settled down in Whitefish when they came to Montana, and they haven’t found a better place to call home than Glacier Country. Just because his time as an NPS employee is over, it doesn’t mean he’s not still enjoying visiting sites in the National Park System — including those in Montana, like Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. After years of helping tell Glacier’s story, and with a little more time on his hands, he’s able to explore lesser-visited places that have their own stories to tell.
“The National Park Service is really this incredible bowl of jewels and gems, and while so much focus comes on places like Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite because of their size and natural setting, they don’t realize that there are small- to medium-sized parks with incredible stories to tell. That’s going to be one of my hobbies in retirement, is to visit each of those gems and learn about the stories they have.” - Jeff
Montana is rich in NPS sites both beautiful and historically, culturally and ecologically significant. Explore the stories beyond the scenery at https://www.nps.gov/state/mt/index.htm
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