valley. The great log hotel and its outlying cottages have 

 been taxed to the limit of their capacity and many requests 

 for reservations have been turned down. 



"Four years ago, this resort was comparatively unknown. 

 Its development can be traced to several causes. It is the 

 kind of .a place that grows on one who has once visited it. 

 Twenty-five miles from the railroad and the only patch of 

 original timber in that section of the country, makes it at- 

 tractive. The fact that the waters flow directly from that 

 litle lake in a stream that broadens and widens and deepens 

 until it becomes 'The Father of Waters' and empties into the 

 rolling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, 2,000 miles away after 

 having passed through the very heart of a great nation, cer- 

 tainly lends a fascination. 



"The quiet of the place enters into the very soul of the 

 people there who are worn with the noises of the cities. 

 Those who have once visited Itasca, come back again and 

 again. The improvement of the roads and the consequent 

 establishment of an automobile livery, makes it possible for 

 the traveler to sit down to supper in the park two hours after 

 he steps from the train, and the daily stage gives good mail 

 service without forcing the worries of civilization on the 

 woods dwellers. 



Where Deer Look Wonderingly at Visitors Who Come Their 



Way. 



"These are some of the things which have brought about 

 the popularity of the park, but the real fascination lies in 

 the easy opportunities for familiarity with the wild life of 

 the woods. The park is a game preserve and has become a 

 true refuge for all kinds of wild life. Hardly a trip up the 

 lake ever fails to gain a sight of at least one deer browsing 

 along the water's edge, and often as many as half a dozen 

 are seen on one trip so tame that a boat or canoe may get 

 within 50 feet of them. Nearly every lake in the park can 

 now boast some beaver and there are a number of beaver 

 houses on Itasca itself. These animals have become nearly 

 extinct in most other states. 



"Back from the lake in the forest and along in the many 

 beautiful roads and trails, the woods are alive with part- 



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