30 



tance, height, and character of moun- 

 tain ranges. Forests are the results 

 (rather than the cause) of climate in 

 this sense. Forests do materially af- 

 fect the climate of the immediate lo- 

 cality which they occupy, however. 

 That effect is due, among other things, 

 to the crowns of the trees, which en- 

 close the land much as roof and walls 

 enclose a house. The forest is both 

 cooler in summer and warmer in win- 

 ter than open places are. The same 

 holds true of daily extremes. Within 

 the forest the air is more moist than 

 outside, because the force of the wind 

 is broken and less evaporation occurs. 

 In the winter, the soil of the forest is 

 less subject to frost than in the open 

 because of the insulating effect of the 

 litter and humus. Snow tends to lie 

 longer in the forest than in the open. 



How can I find out where to camp 

 and picnic on the national forests? 



For general information on vaca- 

 tioning in the national forests, write to 

 the United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture, Forest Service, Washington 

 25, D. C. Information about specific 

 areas may be obtained from the re- 

 gional foresters located at Missoula, 

 Mont.; Denver, Colo.; Albuquerque, 

 N. Mex. ; Ogden, Utah ; San Francisco, 

 Calif.; Portland, Oreg.; Philadelphia, 

 Pa.; Atlanta, Ga.; Milwaukee, Wis.; 

 Juneau, Alaska. 



Is there a charge for camping and 

 picnicking on the national forests? 



Generally there are no charges for 

 camping and picnicking on the na- 

 tional forests. At some of the large 

 recreational areas, concessioners fur- 

 nish wood, operate bathhouses, and 

 give other special services at a nom- 

 inal charge. In 1948, a few large camp 

 grounds were placed under permit and 

 a charge of 50 cents a night for a group 

 in an automobile (of not more than 

 six persons) was authorized. The plan 

 was an experiment, and may or may 

 not be continued. In any event, most 

 camping and picknicking areas on na- 

 tional forests will remain free. 



Yearbook of Agriculture 1949 



Are there cabins for rent on the na- 

 tional forests? 



The Forest Service does not operate 

 rental cabins on the national forests 

 nor maintain lists of available cabins. 

 There are many cabins for rent on 

 private lands within the national for- 

 ests and privately owned cabins on 

 national forest land. For information 

 about such cabins write to the cham- 

 ber of commerce in the locality to 

 which you plan to go. 



Are trailers permitted on national 

 forest camp grounds? 



Yes; on most of them. A few excep- 

 tions are made because of steep roads 

 on which trailers are not practical. 

 None of the usual trailer facilities 

 (electricity, water, and sewerage con- 

 nections) are available on national for- 

 est camp grounds. 



How many people use the national 

 forests for recreation? 



In 1947, 21 million persons visited 

 the national forests for recreation, 

 among them 9 million campers and 

 picnickers, 1% million who partici- 

 pated in winter sports, and hunters, 

 fishermen, children at organization 

 camps, guests at private resorts, people 

 at summer homes, travelers in wilder- 

 ness areas. 



What are the wilderness areas? 



They are roadless tracts in a number 

 of national forests. In them the natu- 

 ral, primitive conditions are preserved. 

 There are 77 wilderness areas in all, 

 mostly in the Western States; they 

 cover 14 million acres. Hunting and 

 fishing are permitted. 



Where can one engage horses for 

 wildnerness trips? 



Local dude ranches have horses, 

 guides, and pack outfits available. 



What are trail rider trips? 



They are expeditions sponsored by 

 the American Forestry Association, 

 919 Seventeenth Street NW., Wash- 

 ington 6, D. C. The Association, a non- 



