22 DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARKS. 



Travel in Mount Rainier National Park during the season of 

 1916 fell considerably below that of 1915, but this reduction in 

 travel was due entirely to an extremely late season in the park. The 

 fall of snow last winter was phenomenal, and continued cold weather 

 during the spring prevented its melting. As a result Paradise Valley 

 was not opened until the middle of August, and it was relatively late 

 in the season before Narada Falls could be reached. The roads and 

 bridges were also affected by the extraordinary fall of snow. 



With the new accommodations that are now available in the park 

 for tourists and the improved transportation service to the reserva- 

 tion, there will be a constant increase in the tourist travel. At 

 the present time the only road entering the park is that which fol- 

 lows the Nisqually River and terminates at Paradise Valley. It is 

 a highly scenic highway, though a comparatively short one. In an 

 automobile one may travel from the cities of Tacoma and Seattle 

 to Paradise Valley and return in one day and in a few hours of this 

 period cover every foot of road in Mount Rainier Park. 



It is desired that other sections of the park be opened up, and the 

 northwest would seem to be the logical section to develop next. Ac- 

 cordingly, a survey of a road up the Carbon River Valley has 

 been made from the town of Fairfax. This road, if constructed, 

 will make accessible the incomparable Spray and Moraine Parks, 

 which lie on the north slope of the Mountain. Scenic areas that only 

 a relatively few trail parties have visited will thus be opened up. 

 If Congress authorizes the construction of this road, the Northern 

 Pacific Railroad will make improvements at the town of Fairfax 

 and make other arrangements to promote travel to this section. 



The Rainier National Park Co. will, of course, provide new and 

 up-to-date hotel and camp accommodations for tourists. Further- 

 more, it is understood that the State of Washington has in con- 

 templation the continuation of the State highway system from the 

 town of Orting to the point of the beginning of the new park high- 

 way. The Carbon River Road would also constitute an important 

 link in a highway around the west side of Mount Rainier to connect 

 with the present road system. This future road, opening up the 

 north and west sides of the mountain, would be a scenic highway 

 unsurpassed in the world. New and ever-changing vistas of the 

 great mountain would be presented to the traveler. 



, CKATEE LAKE PROSPECTS. 



Hotel accommodations in Crater Lake National Park have never 

 been satisfactory, and this year there was no improvement in them 

 over former years. The development of accommodations and trans- 

 portation service in this park must be undertaken on the same broad 



