This is a list of explorers, trappers, guides, and other frontiersmen known as "Mountain Men". Mountain men are most associated with trapping for beaver from 1807 to the 1840s in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. Most moved on to other endeavors, but a few of them followed or adopted the mountain man life style into the 20th century.
| Name | DOB–DOD | Years Active | Native Country | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert, John | 1806–1899 | 1834–1847 |  | ||
| Ashley, William Henry | 1778–1838 | 1822–1828 | | ||
| Baker, Jim | 1818–1898 | 1839–1873 | | ||
| Barclay, Alex | 1810–1855 | 1838–1855 | Barclay was a British-born frontiersman of the American West. After working in St. Louis as a bookkeeper and clerk, he worked at Bent's Old Fort. He then ventured westward where he was a trapper, hunter, and trader.[1] | ||
| Beckwourth, Jim | 1798–1866 | 1824–1866 | | ||
| Bent, Charles | 1799–1847 | 1828–1846 | | ||
| Bent, William | 1809–1869 | 1826–1869 | | ||
| Biggs,Thomas | 1812–1855 | 1835–1855 | | ||
| Beaver, Black | 1806–1880 | | |||
| Bridger, Jim | 1804–1881 | 1822–1868 | | ||
| Bissonet dit Bijou, Joseph | 1778–1836 | 1812–1836 |  | [2] | |
| Bissonette, Joseph | 1818–1894 | ||||
| Bonneville, Benjamin | 1796–1878 | 1832–1835 | | Washington Irving wrote about him, making him famous in his lifetime. The Bonneville Salt Flats are named after him. | |
| Brown, John | 1817–1889 | 1841–1849 | | Fur trapper, trader, rancher, and merchant in and around Pueblo, Colorado. | |
| Brown, Kootenay | 1839–1916 | 1862–1910 | |||
| Richard Campbell | 1824– | | Led first trapper party (from Taos) to sell beaver pelts in California, 1827[3] | ||
| Campbell, Robert | 1804–1879 | 1825–1835 | |||
| Carson, Kit | 1809–1868 | 1825–1868 | | Carson became a frontier legend in his own lifetime through news articles and dime novels. | |
| Charbonneau, Jean | 1805–1866 | 1829–1866 | | ||
| Clyman, James | 1792–1880 | 1823–1848 | | ||
| Coulter, John | 1774–1813 | 1803–1810 | | During the winter of 1807–1808, he explored the area that is now Yellowstone and the Tetons. He is widely considered to be the first mountain man.[4] | |
| Craig, Bill | 1807–1869 | | |||
| Culbertson, Alexander | 1809–1879 | 1829–1858, 1868–1878 | |||
| Drips, Andrew | 1789–1860 | ||||
| Drouillard, George | 1774–1810 | 1804–1810 | | ||
| Ebbert, George | 1810–1890 | 1823–1836 | | ||
| Estes, Joel | 1806–1875 | 1833–1875 | | Founder of Estes Park Colorado, a frontiersman, hunter, fur trader, explorer, gold prospector, and mountain man.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] | |
| Ferris, Warren | 1810–1873 | | |||
| Finlay, Jocko | 1768–1828 | 1806–1828 |  | ||
| Fallon, LeGros | d. 1848 | 1826–1848 | | Real name: William O. Fallon | |
| Fitzpatrick, Thomas "Broken Hand" | 1799–1854 | ||||
| Fraeb, Henry | d. 1841 | 1829–1841 | |||
| Fontenelle, Lucien | 1800–1840 | 1819–1840 | |||
| Garcia, Andrew | 1853–1943 | | |||
| Glass, Hugh | 1780–1833 | 1800–1833 | |||
| Godin, Antoine | 1805–1836 | 1817–1836 | | ||
| Goodyear, Miles | 1817–1849 | 1836–1847 | | ||
| Graham, Isaac | 1800–1863 | 1830–1840 | | ||
| Greenwood, Caleb | 1763–1850 | 1810–1834 | | ||
| Hamilton, Bill | 1822–1908 | ||||
| Harris, Moses | 1800–1849 | | He is also known as Black Harris, and to a lesser extent Black Squire and Major Harris. | ||
| Helm, Boone | 1828–1864 | 1850–1864 | | ||
| Henry, Andrew | 1775–1832 | 1809–1824 | | ||
| Jackson, David | 1788–1837 | 1822–1832 | | ||
| Janis, Antoine | 1822–1890 | 1836–1858 | |||
| Kinman, Seth | 1815–1888 | 1849–1864 | | ||
| Kirker, James | 1793–1852 | 1822–1849 | |||
| Leonard, Zenas | 1809–1857 | 1831–1857 | | ||
| Leroux, Antoine | 1803–1861 | 1822–1861 | | ||
| Johnson, Liver-Eating | 1824–1900 | | Real name: John Jeremiah Garrison Johnston | ||
| Lilly, Bill | 1856–1936 | | |||
| Lisa, Manuel | 1772–1820 | 1789–1820 | |||
| Lupton, Lancaster | 1807–1885 | 1835–1844 | | ||
| Medina, Mariano | 1812–1878 | | Born in Taos, New Mexico, Medina settled in the Big Thompson Valley in 1858, establishing Fort Namaqua and the Namaqua settlement, now within Loveland, Colorado. He operated a trading post, stage station, and toll bridge.[16] | ||
| Meek, Joe | 1810–1875 | 1828–1850 | | ||
| Meek, Stephen | 1805–1889 | 1827–1889 | | ||
| Moore, Bear | 1850–1924 | Real name: James Moore | | [17] | |
| Newell, Doc | 1807–1869 | 1829–1869 | |||
| Nidever, George | 1802–1883 | 1830–1853 | | ||
| Ogden, Pete | 1794–1854 | 1809–1847 | | ||
| Osborne Russell | 1814- 1884 | 1834-1843 | | Osborne Russell Russell, Osborne (1921). Journal of a Trapper: Nine Years in the Rocky Mountains (1834-1843). Boise, Idaho: Symes-York Company. p. 31. | |
| Pattie, James Ohio | 1804–1851? | 1824–1830 | | ||
| Perkins, “Moccasin Bill” | 1825–1904 | 1860–1904 | | William Henry Perkins (Not to be confused with Buffalo Bill. Not to be confused with Moccasin Bill, Cunning Serpent of Ojibwah") | |
| Provost, Etienne | 1785–1850 | 1822–1830 | | [18] | |
| Rose, Edward | 1780–1833 | 1807–1833 | | ||
| Russell, Osborne | 1814–1892 | 1834–1845 | | [19] | |
| Paxton, George | 1821–1848 | ||||
| Purcell, James | fl. 1802–? | | [20] | ||
| Sage, Rufus | 1817–1893 | 1841–1844 | | ||
| Smith, Jedediah | 1799–1831 | 1822–1831 | | ||
| Smith, John Simpson | 1810–1871 | 1830–1871 | | Uncle John, Blackfoot Smith | |
| Smith, Pegleg | 1801–1866 | | |||
| Straw, Nat | 1857–1941 | [21] | |||
| Stump, Bear Killer, Daddy, Doc., Father | 1777–1860 | 1820–1860 | State of Deseret | Traded with Chief Wanship, Washakie mentioned on page 121-122 in Osbourne Russell's Journal, wintered on Antelope Island, raised Peaches, Summer ranged, trapped South Cache Valley, Helped LDS Pioneers, Murderer Mystery. | |
| Stevens, Montague | 1859–1953 | ||||
| St. Vrain, Ceran | 1802–1870 | | |||
| Sublette, Milton | 1801–1837 | 1823–1835 | | ||
| Sublette, Bill | 1799–1845 | 1823–1832 | | ||
| Tevanitagon, Pierre | ?–1828 | 1822–1828 | | An Iroquois from Quebec | |
| Tobin, Tom | 1823–1904 | 1837–1878 | | ||
| Trask, Elbridge | 1815–1863 | 1835–1852 | | ||
| Turner, John | 1807 | 1847 | | Turner survived three Native American massacres, one in 1827 on the Colorado River with the Jedediah Smith expedition, one in 1828 with Smith on the Umpquah River, and one in 1835 on the Rogue River. He later used his survival skills to lead the second round of the Donner Party rescue effort. | |
| Vasquez, Lou | 1798–1868 | 1723–1858 | |||
| Walker, Joe | 1798–1876 | 1832–1863 | | ||
| Weaver, Pauline | 1797–1867 | 1830–1867 | | His given name Powell was changed to the more-familiar to Spanish speakers Paulino, which in turn was changed to Pauline by English speakers | |
| Weber, John | 1779–1859 | 1822–1840 | |||
| Wetzel, Lewis | 1752–1808 | 1786–1791 | | ||
| Williams, Old Bill | 1787–1849 | 1812–1849 | | ||
| Wooten, Dick | 1816–1893 | | |||
| Wyeth, Nathaniel | 1802–1856 | 1832–1837 | | ||
| Yount, Harry | 1839–1924 | 1866–1924 | |