274 OUR FEDERAL LANDS 



long at least as any other of the greatest crazes of 

 recent years. 



It was not until the craze phase of the public 

 interest gave way that vision became possible, and 

 not until motor touring facts outside the parks cre- 

 ated perspectives, that the truth began dimly to 

 emerge. The fact that pleasure patronage of the 

 National Forests increased in even greater propor- 

 tion during the same years was the first observation 

 disturbing to our comfortable early theories. It has 

 not been till very recently that analysis has shown 

 that the new and sudden passion for motor touring 

 found its objective in its early days, not principally 

 in the parks or even the forests, but in the West, of 

 which the parks were but one exhibit of very many. 

 What was the Yosemite to San Francisco or Se- 

 quoia to Los Angeles as a touring attraction? 



Among the many lures which have swept the 

 East awheel into the West, and which to-day fill the 

 entire West with visitors, the greatest no doubt is 

 the very pleasure of motoring over fine roads through 

 inspiring famous country. The fact that most re- 

 corded park increases include as park visitors many 

 thousands of touring motorists who merely stop for 

 a meal or a glance is eloquent. The fact that sudden 

 great permanent jumps in patronage, like Yosemite's 

 in 1927, follow building of better motor roads is full 

 of meaning. 



It must be understood, also, that the full range 

 of increases quoted above are not for identical areas. 



