148 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



The new government railroad also 

 traverses a portion of the Forest. Su- 

 pervisor's headquarters at Cordova. J 



*MOUNT MCKINLEY NATIONAL PARK 



Situated in South Central Alaska. 

 Reached from the Cook Inlet country. 

 Area 2200 sq. mi. A snow-clad 

 mountain 20,300 ft. high, rising from 

 a rolling plateau peopled with cari- 

 bou and mountain sheep. Glaciers 

 on southern and eastern slopes. North 

 and west sides drop abruptly to 

 grassy valleys only 3000 ft. in altitude. 

 Park created principally to protect 

 wild animals. 



The park includes treeless plateaus 

 rich in mosses and grasses, and fertile 

 valleys rich in flowers. 



For more complete information apply 

 to director of National Park Service, 

 Washington, D. C., or to Chamber of 

 Commerce, Seattle, Wash. G. B. Rigg. 



*THE KATMAI NATIONAL MONUMENT 



More than a million acres at the base 

 of the Alaska peninsula, largely devasted 

 by the eruption of 1912, presenting un- 

 paralleled opportunity for study of 

 colonization of volcanic areas by plants 

 and animals (a) the invasion of ordinary 

 pumice plains at air temperature, (6) 

 colonization of hot deposits around 

 fumaroles. 



Around the devasted areas are many 

 square miles of undisturbed country. 



The reservation is located at the 

 geographical edge of the forest. Such 

 animals as the moose, elk, lynx and wolf 

 reach the edge of their range in this 

 district. The northern end of the park 

 is heavily covered with a forest domi- 

 nated by white spruce (Picea canadensis) , 

 with alder, birch, poplar and willow as 

 subordinate trees. Beyond the forest 

 is typical tundra. 



It is a lake country with several large 

 and very deep lakes and many small 

 ponds and swamps. These are the 

 breeding grounds of innumerable water- 

 fowl such as ducks, geese, swans, 

 gulls, cormorants, and so forth. The 

 lakes are among the most famous 



spawning grounds for sockeye salmon 

 in the world. 



Reached at present either from 

 Kodiak, 100 mi. southeast, or from 

 Naknek, 75 mi. northwest. 



At present it is necessary to outfit 

 one's own expedition, which involves 

 considerable expense. The whole coun- 

 try can, however, be made readily 

 accessible by the construction of about 

 60 mi. of automobile road from Geo- 

 graphic Harbor, which lies in the middle 

 of the reservation at the head of Ama- 

 lik Bay. Robert F. Griggs. 



AVAILABLE AREAS 



The Copper River Valley (available). 

 Including Arctican and Alpine lands, ice 

 fields, lakes, ponds, streams, conifer 

 forest, inland from the rivers. One 

 finds active and decadent glacier 

 tongues, new made lands and all stages 

 of incoming vegetation from that to the 

 fully established conditions. Most of 

 the large game is gone. Lake Klutina 

 region has splendid beaver colonies. 

 We put a canoe over 20 beaver dams in 

 one-half day. The Copper Valley is 

 easily reached from Cordova by the 

 Copper River and Northwestern Rail- 

 way. This line runs along the coastal 

 plain 30,1m. east from Cordova, follows 

 the river north with frequent crossings 

 to Chitina and then a branch river of 

 the same name to the east 60 mi. to 

 Kennicott. Stops can be made almost 

 anywhere. Henry B. Ward. 



Glacier Bay\ p. Many-branched fjord 

 60 mi. long, surrounded by lofty ice- 

 covered mountains. Nine tidewater 

 glaciers discharging icebergs (the Muir 

 being the largest) and hundreds of 

 others. Extensive areas laid bare by 

 retreat of ice, the history of which is 

 accurately known ; every stage in plant 

 succession from pioneers through alder 

 thicket to spruce-hemlock forest; also 

 areas of very old forest which antedate 

 last glacial advance. Valuable relics 

 (stumps, trunks, lower vegetation) of 

 interglacial forest exposed by erosion 

 of gravels. Subarctic fauna well de- 

 veloped: goat, bear, ptarmigan; abun- 

 dant salmon in streams. ' See John Muir : 

 Travels in Alaska. 



JuneauJlf, 70 mi. west, gas-boat. 

 William S. Cooper. 



Holkham Bay. Typical narrow fiord, 

 with two branches, Endicott Arm and 

 Tracy Arm, each 25 mi. long and termi- 

 nated by glaciers discharging icebergs. 

 Mountains 600 ft. high immediately 



