OUR NATIONAL PARKS. 5 



deposits. It has a canyon gorgeous with all the colors and shades 

 of the rainbow, and it is literally the greatest wild animal preserve in 

 the world. 



The Rocky Mountain National Park straddles the Continental 

 Divide at a lofty height, with snow-capped mountains extending 

 from end to end. Its glacier records are remarkable. 



The Mesa Verde National Park hides in its barren canyons the well- 

 preserved ruins of a civilization which passed out of existence so 

 many centuries ago that not even tradition recalls its people. 



It will be seen that one may visit a new national park each year 

 for nearly a decade and see something quite new and remarkable at 

 each visit. 



HOTELS AND CAMPS 



The map will show where these National parks are located. They 

 are all upon lines of railways and are easily and comfortably reached 

 from any part of the United States. Each of them is in charge of a 

 resident supervisor who has under his charge enough park rangers 

 to protect the forests from fire, the wild animals from hunters, and 

 the visitors from harm. There are good roads in all of these parks, 

 and hotels and public camps where visitors may stay as long as 

 they like to enjoy the scenery and study nature. Trails are built 

 to the waterfalls, up the highest mountains, and, in short, wherever 

 especially fine views may be found. Over these trails visitors may 

 walk or ride on horseback as they prefer. 



Many of the hotels are fine ones where every luxury may be had 

 by those who insist upon luxuries even in the wilderness. There are 

 often cheaper hotels also, and in the great public camps visitors may 

 live very comfortably indeed and quite economically. One may go 

 to these camps just as to a hotel, only he is assigned a comfortable 

 tent instead of a room, and eats his meals at a big table in a big 

 dining tent. There is another big tent, usually, to serve as a general 

 living room. At night a camp fire is built in the woods, and all 

 gather around it to sing and tell stories. It is great fun. Many 

 persons who can easily afford the luxurious hotels live in the camps 

 because they prefer doing so. 



The Department of the Interior, which has all the national parks 

 in its care, is trying to make them popular and comfortable and avail- 

 able for people of all degrees of income. 



NATIONAL PARKS AND NATIONAL FOREST 



Not only should these parks be the best and most fully patronized 

 health and pleasure resorts hi the United States, but they should 

 also become great centers of nature study. In the national parks 

 only is nature most carefully conserved exactly as designed. No 



