710 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



and future value to the West, the Department of Agri- 

 culture has been prominently identified. Some of the best 

 highways approaching the Forests have been built by 

 mete engineers with funds contributed by states and 

 counties. A new era of economy and efficiency in high- 

 way making is opening all over the West. 



In the Forests, by reason of more liberal appropria- 

 tion, the work of road and trail making is proceeding 

 apace with that outside 

 the boundaries. The best 

 camp and villa sites are 

 being linked by fine 

 roads. Leading out from 

 these, innumerable trails 

 for the pack outfits and 

 the mountaineers have 

 been built to make ac- 

 cessible the loftier and 

 more impressive view- 

 points. Throughout the 

 forests the trails and 

 roads are plainly marked, 

 telephones are conveni- 

 ently located, springs, 

 camp sites, good view- 

 points, gasoline stations, 

 stores, hotels, and prac- 

 tically everything a trav- 

 eller should know are 

 clearly shown on the 

 maps or marked on the 

 trees along the highways. 



The first thought that 

 comes to you on entering 

 a National Forest is that 

 you are welcome. There 

 is but one " don't " in all 

 the legends you read on 

 signs and maps, "Don't 

 be careless about fires." 



The ranger who greets you somewhere in the forest 

 won't a>k your pedigree or your politics. You'll look just 

 as good to him whether you are on foot or in a limousine 

 with the latest camp outfit, and you'll be just as wel- 

 come. The forest is a great leveller. An instance of 

 this occurred last summer, when a careless camper 

 with an expensive touring outfit and a sagebrusher 

 with a span of burros and a dilapidated wagon were 

 both brought back into the forest a,nd there compelled to 

 clean up their respective camps and also to put out their 

 neglected fires. 



In its effort to render the greatest amount of pleasure 

 to the camper and summer home builder the Forest 

 Service has given thoughtful consideration to many de- 

 tails. The comfort and convenience of the former is 

 aided by furnishing camp stoves built of concrete which, 

 by the way. also lessen the fire risk. The Forest Service 

 has also piped water from distant springs, cleared away 

 brush, surveyed and planted attractive sites, and at all 



THE FIRST AUTO ON THE NEW BLEWETT PASS HIGHWAY, WASHINGTON 



This splendid roadway constructed by the Forest Service connects with new state and 

 county roads between Wcnatchee and North Yakima and opens to the summer tourist 

 a region of unusual charm and beauty, between two of the noted fruit-growing districts 

 of the State. Blewett Pass in former days had a reputation for bad roads and heavy 

 grades. 



times has rendered helpful assistance in the building of 

 the summer homes. 



While the regular duties of the ranger are onerous 

 and trying, and the advent of an army of summer vis- 

 itors brings added cares and burdens and no extra pay, the 

 attitude of the forest man is obliging, kindly and helpful. 

 In California the recreational use of the forest has 

 assumed proportions calling for the utmost tact and 



diplomacy on the part of 

 the administrators. In 

 the Angeles Forest thou- 

 sands of people make 

 use of the camp sites. 

 So popular has this form 

 of vacation become that 

 the city of Los Angeles 

 has leased a large tract 

 of land in this forest, 

 erected thereon thirty or 

 more cottages, a mess 

 hall, and a concrete bath- 

 ing pool. Throughout 

 the summer months the 

 city arranges to trans- 

 port and care for parties 

 of pupils and teachers 

 to the number of two 

 hundred at a time. A 

 two-weeks' vacation is 

 provided for in the for- 

 est and the entire cost is 

 about $7.50 per person, 

 including transportation 

 of more than 200 miles. 

 In the Sierra Na- 

 tional Forest the Normal 

 School of Fresno has 

 leased a tract of land on 

 the shores of Hunting- 

 ton Lake, and a summer 

 school is held there. In the Pecos National Forest a 

 number of Boy Scouts are given a summer vacation with 

 lessons in forestry by a ranger as an added attraction. 

 In the same forest a camping company has set up tent 

 cities in various places of interest and a summer tour 

 with frequent stops is provided. One of these, a trip to 

 Lake Peaks, 12,000 feet elevation, is made in a single 

 day on horseback. 



The increasing demand for camp facilities in some 

 of the forests, especially in sections where the highway 

 systems from the cities have been completed, has brought 

 about a new classification of certain areas. Heretofore 

 these areas were regarded as chiefly valuable for the 

 timber upon them, but with the clamor for camp sites 

 the recreational use of these lands far exceeds their value 

 for timber, and henceforth the axe will touch here no 

 giant pine or fir so long as it can hold its head to Heaven. 

 In the Oregon National Forest one Sunday morning 

 last summer there were 400 automobiles parked in and 



