NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



175 



but measures have now been taken to 

 stop pollution and improve conditions 

 by running pure water through the lake. 

 Some small lakes are badly polluted with 

 saw mill waste. 



Mountain streams in their upper 

 courses are mostly unpolluted except 

 occasional instances where concentrator 

 water or other material from mines is 

 allowed to run into a small stream. In 

 their lower courses many of them receive 

 the sewage from the towns along their 

 banks, and considerable refuse is also 

 thrown into them. The amount of this 

 sewage, however, is small relative to 

 the volume of flow in the rivers and the 

 pollution is so soon taken care of that 

 the water supply for some of the towns 

 is taken from the rivers. The Skyko- 

 mish River is an illustration of the con- 

 ditions mentioned. 



II. NATIONAL PARK 



*MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK (A3) 



Area 207,360 acres. Elevation of 

 summit 14,526 ft. Has 28 glaciers, 6 of 

 which appear to originate at the very 

 summit of the mountain. The glaciers 

 and snow fields give rise to numerous 

 precipitous mountain streams. Fairly 

 dense forest, mostly coniferous, up to 

 4000 ft. Among the conifers are Doug- 

 las fir, western red cedar, hemlock, grand 

 fir, silver fir, noble fir, and western white 

 pine. Among the deciduous trees are 

 maple, alder, and cotton wood. Gradual 

 decrease in density of forest up to 

 5000 ft. At and above that elevation 

 the trees are scattered and stunted. 

 Many rocky ridges and pumice fields 

 above timber line. Large meadows 

 above forests, characterized by rich 

 subalpine flower gardens, containing 

 heathers, daisies, anemones, columbines, 

 Erythroniums, larkspurs, lupines and 

 other flowers. The park has 150 mi. 

 of trail including one encircling the 

 mountain. 



Tacoma Seattle. Distance by auto 

 road from Tacoma 58 miles, from 

 Seattle 88 miles. Daily stages from 

 both places to south side of mountain. 

 Tacoma Eastern R. R. from Tacoma to 



Ashford. Stage from Ashford (6 mi.) 

 to south side of park. Guides and pack 

 animals also available. 



Auto road to north side of mountain 

 from Enumclaw. North side also 

 reached by trail from Fairfax (R. R 

 station). Pack animals available at 

 Fairfax. Automobile road from Fairfax 

 up the Carbon River extending several 

 miles within the park. 



III. STATE PARKS AND RESERVED PARK 

 SITES 



A. PARKS 



1. *Chuckanut State Park. (B4.) A 

 tract of 20 acres situated 6 mi. south of 

 Bellingham on Chuckanut Drive. It 

 fronts on salt water, part of the shore 

 being sandy beach and part rocky. It 

 has some virgin timber, mostly fir, 

 with some alder. Bellmghamt, 6 mi. 

 south (a). 



2. Jackson State Park. (D4.) A half 

 acre not in a state of nature, preserved 

 for historical reasons. Toledo. Also 

 reached from WinlockJ, which is on 

 Nor. Pacific Ry. 5 mi. s.e. (a). 



5. *M or an State Park. (B3.) A tract 

 of 2600 acres on the south side of Mount 

 Constitution on Orcas Island in San 

 Juan County. The elevation of the 

 summit of the mountain is 2400 ft. 

 and the park extends almost to the 

 summit. This park includes some fine 

 stands of Douglas fir and of western 

 hemlock, as well as some lodgepole 

 pine. Practically all has been burned 

 over within the last 25 years, and in 

 places a pure stand of lodgepole pine 

 has occupied the burns. The large 

 firs and hemlocks were not killed by 

 these fires. Some untimbered rather 

 xerophytic areas in this park will be 

 valued by naturalists on account of their 

 flora of ferns, Selaginella and other 

 plants. The park includes a lake li mi. 

 long and | mi. wide. Deer are numer- 

 ous. A careful estimate puts the num- 

 ber in the park and the 2000 acre game 

 preserve adjoining it, at 1500. 



Seattle!, 75 mi. north by Steamer; 5 

 mi. north (h) or (w) from OlgaJ or East 

 SoundJ. 



It is hoped and expected that the 



