NATtTRAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



52? 



eccentric erosion and extinct volcanic 

 action. Elevation 11,700 to 12,400 ft. 



It is reached by horseback trail from 

 Wagonwheel Gap or from Creede. 

 Roger W. Toll. 



*Mesa Verde National Park. Is lo- 

 cated in the southwestern part of Colo- 

 rado, in Montezuma County. It has an 

 area of 77 sq. mi. The highest elevation 

 is that of Park Point, 8574 ft. The 

 average elevation of the mesa is perhaps 

 500 or 1000 ft. less than this. 



The nearest railroad point to Mesa 

 Verde National Park is Mancos, on the 

 D. & R. G. W. It is connected with that 

 point by automobile stage line making 

 daily scheduled trips throughout the 

 summer season. The park is accessible 

 by automobile, but of course most of the 

 ruins are reached either on foot or on 

 horseback. Roger W. Toll. 



Literature: 



Antiquities of Mesa Verde National 

 Park: Spruce Tree House. J. W. 

 Fewkes. Bureau Amer. Ethnology, 

 Bull. 41, 1909. 



Antiquities of the Mesa Verde 

 National Park: Cliff Palace. J. W. 

 Fewkes. Bureau Amer. Ethnology, 

 Bull. 51, 1911. 



Excavation and Repair of Sun Tem- 

 ple. J. W. Fewkes. Gov. Pr. Office. 



*The Colorado National Monument 



The Colorado National Monument 

 (13,883 acres) is located in western 

 Colorado, Mesa County. It is a few 

 hundred feet higher than the town of 

 Fruita, whose elevation is 4510 ft. Its 

 special characteristics are many lofty 

 monoliths, and it forms a wonderful 

 example of erosion, as well as possessing 

 great scenic beauty and interest. 



The entrance to this monument may 

 be reached by automobile from Grand 

 Junction or Fruita, but in order to 

 explore the area one must go on foot. 

 Roger W. Toll. 



*Estes Park. Few sq. mi. of mountain 

 coniferous and aspen forest, and xero- 

 phytic mountain grassland (some Bou- 

 teloua), with lakes, springs, and river 

 lying in mountain park topography; 

 beaver present and usual small mam- 



mals. Small areas along streams and 

 near lakes in the open park have meso- 

 phytic vegetation. The park is 7600 

 ft. altitude, located in the open yellow 

 pine forest area. The Rocky Mountain 

 National Park is but a few mi. to the 

 west but at higher altitude. Estes 

 Park is an important tourist resort 

 with many excellent hotels. For many 

 years there will be plenty of unoccupied 

 land where the natural vegetation can 

 be observed. 



Located in Larimer County; village 

 of Estes Park, Colo. Auto stage from 

 Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, or Den- 

 ver. F. R. 



*Rocky Mountain National Park. 

 Many square miles of coniferous moun- 

 tain forest, alpine and sub-alpine 

 meadow, talus slopes, gravel slides, 

 bogs, mountains, ravines, canyons, 

 marshes, ponds, springs, glaciers; with 

 beaver, bear, deer, and wild mountain 

 sheep. Includes all the climatic and 

 edaphic situations belonging to mon- 

 tane, sub-alpine and alpine life zones 

 of the neighborhood. 



For the higher altitudes the distances 

 from hotels are considerable. Auto- 

 mobile roads and government camp- 

 sites with usual regulations of National 

 Parks. Located in Boulder, Larimer, 

 and Grand Counties, Colo., a few mi. 

 from Estes Park village and postoffice. 

 See account of Estes Park, preceding. 

 May also be reached from Grand Lake, 

 Colo., on the western slope but roads 

 across the Continental Divide open only 

 from mid- July to September 1. F. R. 



Tolland Area. Few sq. mi. of moun- 

 tain coniferous and aspen forest with 

 pine, spruce, fir, and Douglas fir; xero- 

 phytic grassland, meadow, flood plain, 

 talus slopes, gravel slides, bogs, water- 

 falls, ravines, canyons, glacial deposit, 

 swamps, marshes, morainal and rock- 

 basin lakes, swift and meandering 

 streams; deer, beaver, small mammals, 

 many birds. Every kind of association 

 that may be expected from 9000 to 14,000 

 ft. altitude. Most of the area is in the 

 Colorado National Forest. A summer 

 laboratory was conducted by the Uni- 



