Some places stay with you long after you’ve left them, quietly calling you back again and again. Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of those places for me. While nearby Dream Lake tends to draw the crowds, I often find myself taking the quieter trail that leads here.

Mills has a serenity all its own. Sheltered from the wind, the water often lies still as glass, reflecting the rugged peaks above and disturbed only by the gentle ripple of a rising trout. At dusk, the last light brushes the mountains in soft color, and the entire world seems to exhale.

I’ve painted here on location many times, each visit leaving me wishing for just a little more time to watch the shadows stretch across the valley and to feel the hush of evening settle in. This lake is a sanctuary, only a couple of hours from home, yet it feels like another world. Even when I can’t be there, I carry the quiet of this place with me, knowing it will always be waiting the next time the mountains call.