6o 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



the superintendent of the New Zealand tourist and health resorts, 

 the United States consul at Sydney, New South Wales, for the 

 information of the secretary of national parks in that country, 

 and the secretary of the Royal Geographic Society of Australasia 

 at Melbourne, Victoria. 



In view of the facility of reaching our national parks from the 

 Atlantic and Middle West States, through improved rail connec- 

 tions, and the convenience of travel by tourists through them, 

 which is being rapidly improved, the comment is a natural one, 

 "Why do so many of our American people spend their time and 

 money touring abroad without knowing their own country ?" The 

 scenery and natural wonders found in other countries frequented 

 by our people are insignificant compared with that of our great 

 national parks and the mountain ranges in which they are found. 



It has been broadly estimated that over $100,000,000 has been 

 spent in some years abroad by American tourists ; only a fraction 

 of this amount is spent by Americans in visiting the great Ameri- 

 can parks and resorts. 



One of the advantages of popularizing the national parks by 

 eastern tourists would be the display of greater interest in their 

 improvement by Congress, in liberal appropriations to increase 

 their accessibility by roads and other establishments for public 

 convenience and pleasure. 



The Wind Cave National Park, containing 10,522 acres; Sullys 

 Hill National Park, containing 780 acres, and Piatt National 

 Park of 848.22 acres, created by Congress at different times, may 

 be said to be local parks having no sufficient national character- 

 istics to warrant their development as such. The policy should be, 

 in my estimation, to retain none of the national parks heretofore 

 dedicated which will not warrant development as national institu- 

 tions as distinguished from municipal or state parks or resorts. 

 If it is desired that they be retained for public purposes and so 

 improved, I would recommend that they be conveyed to the 

 States for that purpose. 



As regards the national parks which have been created and are 

 capable of development as national institutions, a definite policy 

 for their maintenance, supervision, and improvement should be 

 established, which would enable them to be gradually opened up 

 for the convenience and comfort of tourists and campers and 

 for the careful preservation of their natural features. Complete 

 and comprehensive plans for roads, trails, telegraph and telephone 

 lines, sewer and water systems, hotel accommodations, trans- 

 portation, and other conveniences should be made for each of 

 the national parks before any large amount of money is ex- 

 pended. The treatment of our national parks, except as regards 



