THE NATIONAL FORESTS OF COLORADO 



31 



Long ago the Indians, the first to appreciate the natural advantages 

 of the area for recreation and sports, came to this region on their 

 annual hunting expeditions. Here they played their games and 

 hunted, and left their records on the " Painted Eocks." 



Historically, the country is rich. Fremont and his men forced a 

 way through, only to be defeated by the elements. But he and 

 other early travelers have left a wealth of tales of adventure. 



In spite of the fact that this national forest is all potential timber- 

 land and that some timber cutting is being done, there are large 

 tracts which are ideally suited to grazing. 



Range management receives the closest attention, as the forest 

 takes care of over 300,000 cattle and sheep of all ages on its summer 

 ranges every year. Intensive reconnaissance has been made and 

 careful plans of utilization have been worked out, and, as on the 



F-17303-A 



Fig. 21. —Hewing a water trough out of a spruce tree for improvement of soft-water 

 spring, Montezuma National Forest 



Montezuma, this specialized work is aimed at forest protection as 

 well as livestock production ; for the primary purpose of the national 

 forests is timber growing and the danger of substituting a secondary 

 use, however important locally, must be guarded against. 



There is a limited recreational development appropriate to the 

 character of the country. Within the forest is the Wheeler National 

 Monument, named in honor of George Wheeler, United States engi- 

 neer, who made geological explorations in this region. The monu- 

 ment with its grotesquely eroded geological features attracts many 

 visitors. 



Although two highways, in addition to the one over Wolf Creek, 

 cross the forest east and west — one going over the divide at Cumbres 

 Pass in New Mexico, and the other through Crede to the extreme 

 north — the Wheeler National Monument and many other places 

 within the Rio Grande can be reached only by horse or foot trails. 



