Out-of-Door Playgrounds of 
Page Fifteen The SanTIsabel National Forest 
A picturesque example of the action of wind and weather on sand- 
stone, which has worn the rocks into grotesque and fantastic shapes, 
is to be seen along the Huerfano River, 8 miles from Gardner. 
The Caves of the Winds, a system of giant crevices in a mountain 
of solid white marble, is one of the principa! natural wonders of the 
Forest. These caves have been penetrated to a depth of over 1,200 
feet, without the end being reached. They may be reached by wagon 
road from Westcliffe, distance 15 miles. 
A few miles west of Canon City and just north of the San Isabel 
Forest boundry, lies the celebrated Royal Gorge. This far-famed 
defile is the rift through which the Arkansas bursts from the 
mountains to freedom and the plains below. The canyon walls of 
ruddy granite and gneiss rise from 1,000 to nearly 3,000 feet above 
the mad, boiling waters of the river. Through this giant crevasse 
the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad winds its way, hugging close to 
the wall, until at the narrowest point of the gorge, where the tower- 
ing cliffs are but 10 yards apart, the celebrated Hanging Bridge 
carries the train safely over the rushing stream. From Canon City 
a scenic trip of much interest may be made over the Sky-Line Drive 
to the top of the Royal Gorge. 
Summer Homes in the Mountains 
Those who wish something more permanent than a tent or tem- 
porary camp can build on land leased from the Forest Service a per- 
manent camp, cabin, or summer cottage, to which they can return 
year after year. An act of Congress passed March 4, 1915, author- 
izes the Secretary of Agriculture to issue long-term permits for 
summer-home sites for a period of not more than 30 years and for 
areas of not over 5 acres. For ordinary summer-home use, sites are 
usually limited to areas of an acre or less, for which a small yearly 
rental is charged. 
