Treasures of the Nation 



than a place to launch and moor boats 

 for fishermen may be necessary or, at 

 the other extreme, most of the facil- 

 ities normally found in a State park, 

 including group camps, may be desir- 

 able. The use of the lands surrounding 

 reservoirs is considerably less restricted 

 than that of national and State parks, 

 because usually there is no compelling 

 need to preserve the natural scenery. 

 Consequently, after adequate provision 

 has been made for public use, certain 

 lands may be set aside that can be 

 leased for summer-home sites to be con- 

 structed by the lessee a practice not 

 permitted in the national parks or in 

 most State parks. 



Hunting is permitted except in the 

 heavily used parts and in parts estab- 

 lished as wildlife refuges. It has been 

 found that grazing and farming can be 

 permitted when the land area is so 

 large that such uses will not be incom- 

 patible with uses of greater priority. 

 Because of the diversity of agencies ad- 

 ministering these reservoir areas, there 

 is no central agency from which to ob- 

 tain information about all of them. In- 

 quiries directed to Federal, State, or 

 local park agencies should elicit infor- 

 mation about any such areas under 

 their jurisdiction. 



COUNTY AND METROPOLITAN parks 

 are transitional between State parks 

 and municipal parks. The former have 

 many characteristics of both of the lat- 

 ter. They average larger than munici- 

 pal parks, and, being close to centers 

 of dense population, have many of the 

 same provisions for recreation that are 

 found in the larger municipal parks. 

 Their size and forested character, how- 

 ever, allow and encourage emphasis on 

 naturalistic development and on the 

 activities that depend on spaciousness, 

 such as hiking, boating, horseback rid- 

 ing, and, to some extent, camping. 

 Picnicking is a favorite use of these 

 parks. Large-scale preparations have 

 been made for it shelters, tables and 

 benches, and fireplaces, yet on Sun- 

 days and holidays it is well to arrive 

 early to be sure of finding a place. 



549 



Information regarding county and 

 metropolitan parks should be obtained 

 from the office of the administering 

 agency or from the superintendent of 

 the individual area. Reference to the 

 telephone directory will generally be 

 sufficient for this purpose. 



SPECIAL-USE AREAS in some parks 

 have been found desirable because of 

 the growth of interest in and enthu- 

 siasm for winter sports, particularly 

 skiing. From the national parks and 

 forests down through the list of lesser 

 areas, administrators are confronted 

 with the demand for ski runs and other 

 facilities wherever there are usable 

 slopes and enough snow. It is not al- 

 ways possible to acquiesce in those de- 

 mands where preservation of natural 

 conditions is of primary importance. 

 However, many such facilities do exist 

 in all classes of parks, attendance at the 

 most accessible ones naturally being 

 the heaviest. Ski lifts, tows, jumps, and 

 lodges are provided in some of the 

 areas, but in the national parks and 

 related areas they are limited some- 

 what by problems of access, safety, 

 and likelihood of interference with 

 other uses. Where those problems have 

 been solved, informal skiing, ice skat- 

 ing, and tobogganing are encouraged. 

 A policy of noncommercial use is fol- 

 lowed, and no undue disfiguration of 

 important landscapes is allowed. 



In a few county and metropolitan 

 parks, toboggan slides have been suc- 

 cessful and popular. There are also 

 many lakes, ponds, and artificial rinks, 

 which are located in areas close enough 

 to cities to be heavily patronized by 

 skaters. Snowshoeing, it seems, is now 

 mostly for practical purposes. 



THIS ADVICE to those who are novices 

 in the use of park and recreation areas 

 is important and will help the new- 

 comers derive greater satisfaction and 

 pleasure from their first outing. 



By all means, choose the proper 

 but not necessarily expensive cloth- 

 ing. Common sense prescribes light 

 clothes for warm latitudes and heavier 



