If you've spent time at Whitefish Mountain Resort in the summer, you're probably familiar with the Danny On Memorial Trail, the popular hiking path that winds from the village area all the way to the 6,800-foot summit of Big Mountain.

Attracting thousands of visitors each year, the trail meanders through evergreen woods, wildflower-studded meadows and abundant patches of huckleberry bushes while treating hikers to spectacular views of Glacier National Park, the Flathead Valley and the Northern Rockies.

But what do you know about the trail's namesake, Danny On?

A consummate outdoorsman and lifelong adventurer, On made headlines seemingly everywhere he went. A son of Chinese immigrants, he grew up in Red Bluff, California, served as a U.S. Army paratrooper during World War II and defended public lands as a smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service. His later career as a forester and renowned wildlife photographer eventually brought him to Whitefish, where he died in a skiing accident in 1979.

The trail, built to commemorate On, opened two years later.

To learn more, check out this profile of On published in Flathead Living magazine, and consider the contributions of this local legend next time you hike the trail!