18 DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARKS. 



highly essential works and makes it possible for him to turn his 

 capital into the further development of his own enterprise. Fur- 

 thermore, as public works under the control of the National Park 

 Service, they can always be made to yield a revenue. 



Travel to Yosemite Park was very heavy this season. It approxi- 

 mately equaled that of last season. The records indicate that 33,390 

 visitors registered at the park checking station prior to October 12. 

 Of those. 14,166 came in private machines. The average stay of tour- 

 ists in the park was longer than the average period spent in the park 

 in previous years. 



The increase in motor travel was remarkable, and a comparison of 

 the number of machines entering the park this season with the num- 

 ber registered during 1914 and 1915 constitutes the best index of 

 the sound, substantial growth of the park's popularity that I can 

 mention. The records indicate that in 1914, 673 cars entered the 

 park; in 1915, 3,895; and in 1916, prior to October 12, 3,938. This 

 season 14,166 tourists entered the park in private machines. It is gen- 

 erally understood that automobile parties remain in the park a longer 

 time than any other class of tourists. This is particularly true of 

 those who visited the floor of the valley in their cars. 



I have indicated that the removal of restrictions on motor traffic is 

 one of the important factors that has influenced park development 

 during the season of 1916. Prior to this season no private machines 

 were ever allowed to run on the floor of the valley, but the opening 

 , this season of these roads was largely responsible for the great influx 

 of private cars and the extraordinary length of time spent by motor- 

 ists in the park. Next season it is expected that motor travel will be 

 double that of this season. This is a conservative estimate. 



It is inevitable that for several years Yosemite Park will be just 

 as popular with the motorists as Yellowstone, and yet the roads in 

 this park are so inferior to those of Yellowstone that it is useless 

 to compare them. Appropriations should be made at once to exten- 

 sively improve the Tioga road and Big Oak Flat road, and to con- 

 tinue the regrading of the El Portal road. These highways should be 

 put in as good condition as the State highways with which they con- 

 nect. The Wawona road should also be improved, but this is a toll 

 road, and until private interest in the same is extinguished and it 

 becomes a public highway its reconstruction can not be undertaken. 

 The Wawona and Chinquapin toll roads are the only remaining 

 roads in the national parks that are not under the control of the Na- 

 tional Park Service. They constitute a constant source of administra- 

 tive difficulty, and their private control is inconsistent with the best 

 interests of the park. The additional cost of using this road, which 

 the tourist traveling in his own conveyance has to bear, discourages 

 travel via Fresno and Merced and other cities in their vicinity. 



