National Parks. 



55 



NATIONAL PARKS. 



Report of the Superintendent of the Mount Rainier 

 National Park. 



ROADS AND TRAILS. 



The government road, built by the Engineer Corps, United 

 States Army, is now practically completed from the western 

 boundary of the Rainier National Forest to a point beyond 

 Camp of the Clouds in Paradise Valley, a distance of approxi- 

 mately twenty-five miles. The road has been carefully located and 

 a grade not exceeding 4 per cent obtained. The construction of 

 this road is a very creditable piece of engineering and has been 

 under the immediate supervision of Mr. Eugene Ricksecker, As- 

 sistant United States Engineer. Mr. Ricksecker has been par- 

 ticular to see that the road passed all points of interest, and it 

 is said to be one of the finest scenic roads in America. 



The total number of visitors known to have entered the park 

 this season to date is 7,754. 



The summit of Mount Rainier was reached by 159 persons 

 during the season just passed. 



Report of the Acting Superintendent of the Yosemite 

 National Park, 1910. 



It seems to be not generally known that Yosemite Valley is open 

 to travel all the year round, and that, while it is impracticable 

 because of the snow to ascend any of the trails up to the rim of 

 the valley, the principal roads are passable. 



PATENTED LANDS. 



There are approximately 20,000 acres of timber and homestead 

 claims in the park, and I cannot urge too strongly the need of 

 action looking toward the acquisition by the Government of all 

 these patented lands. 



The Sugar Pine Lumber Company, which formerly was oper- 

 ating forty miles south of the Yosemite National Park, is now 

 cutting timber within three-quarters of a mile of the southern 

 boundary, and the mountains are rapidly being denuded of all 

 timber. This is what will happen to the timber upon all the 

 patented lands within the limits of the park in a very short time 

 unless they are purchased by the Government and all private 

 rights extinguished. This is a matter which needs urgent atten- 

 tion and should no longer be neglected. 



