MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK 



413 



Tacoma and lunch among the flowers and glaciers in 

 th Park. 



At Longmire Springs the visitor gets his first real 

 "close-up" of Washington's wonderous inheritance 

 Mount Rainier. Snow-clad, gleaming bright, and over- 

 looking like a mighty monarch of ancient Rome, all 

 the dark heavily forested hills and valleys surrounding 

 it, it is to the beholder an awe-inspiring spectacle. One 

 never tires looking at it. But whenever the eye chances 

 to stray from its mighty snow and ice-covered dome there 

 may be seen other attractions in and around Longmire 

 Springs, the first stopping place in the Park. Here 

 the comfortable National Park Inn is located. The hotel 

 and camp accommodations are strictly modern, efficient, 

 and conducive to the comfort and enjoyment of the 

 visitor. Each year added improvements make Long- 

 mire Springs more desirable as a place to stay rather 

 than just a stop-over. From here radiate several of the 

 trails and footpaths to the many interesting sections of 

 the Park on the southwest side of the mountain. Directly 

 in front of National Park Inn is a large open area, grass 

 covered, and containing many interesting and health- 



giving mineral springs, chief among them being sulphur, 

 iron and soda. 



Leaving Longmire Springs the visitor starts on the 

 final lap of his journey to Paradise Valley, which is. 

 nestled at the foot of the great mountain, surrounded 

 on all sides by precipitous peaks. The highway to Para- 

 dise is unsurpassed in beauty and thrills, for on this 

 stretch of the road the traveler ascends from an alti- 

 tude of 2,761 feet to 5,557 feet.. At the journey's end 

 (for everybody goes to Paradise Valley) a beautiful 

 scene is presented. Here, standing on the lovely veranda 

 of the homelike Paradise Inn, one can see in every direc- 

 tion myriads of gorgeous mountain flowers, in every 

 hue and color. And the flowers grow to the very edges 

 of the mountain's glaciers. 



Paradise Inn is the starting point for the strenuous 

 Summit Climb and the delightful Sky Line Trail saddle 

 horse trip. Skiing, tobogganing, and various other snow 

 sports are indulged in in Paradise Valley all summer 

 long. In short everything to contribute to an exceed- 

 ingly interesting, health-giving and wonder-filled trip is 

 to be found in Rainier National Park. 



THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES 



By Roger W. Toll 



Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park 



THE Rocky Mountain National Park was created in 

 191 5, and includes within its boundary lines a region 

 that is typical of the best of Colorado mountain scenery. 

 The park has an area of JffjYi square miles, or a quarter 

 of a million acres. 



The Park encloses about 29 miles of the Continental 

 Divide and has 46 peaks of an elevation of 11,000 feet 

 or more. The highest of all is Longs Peak, whose eleva- 

 ton is 14,255 feet. More than a thousand people climbed 

 this peak last summer. 



Rocky Mountain National Park is 75 miles from Den- 

 ver, by good automobile roads. There are several ap- 

 proach roads and all of them are scenic though different 

 in character. Because of its accessibility. Rocky Moun- 

 tain National Park draws many visitors, who come from 

 the central and eastern states to escape the hot weather, 

 and to spend their vacation in healthful and bracing out- 

 door exercise. One may ride horseback, fish, climb moun- 

 tains and be as strenuous as possible, or one may rest at 

 any of the thirty hotels in the neighborhood, and play 

 golf or tennis. 



During the ice age, great glaciers streamed down the 

 valleys from both sides of the Continental Divide. These 

 glaciers have now disappeared, except for small ice 

 fitlds at heads of the valley^, but the work that they did 

 in scooping out valleys, building up moraines, and goug- 

 ing out glacial cirques, is still plainly visible and adds 

 much interest to the landscape. 



The Fall River Road has recently been completed be- 

 tween Estes Park and Grand Lake. This crosses the 

 Continental Divide, and reaches an altitude of 11,797 

 feet above sea level. Part of the road is above timber- 



Pliotoyraph by l*"iaiik \V. Bycily 



LAKE HAIYAHA LONG'S PEAK IN THE DISTANCE 



Nestled close under the Continental Divide this beautiful lake 

 is easily reached by hikers from the valley hotels and camps. 



