The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-04-16
NEW ROADS in PARK
More improvements to be Made this
Year Thu ever Before.

More improvements TO pc MADE this
Wear than ever Before.
1t is expected that the government
will spend more money in Yellow
stone park this year identifying Won
derland than ever before. More roads
will be Quilt, giving the public access
to more of the treasures of nature
than ever. If the report Of Colonel
Hiram M. Chittenden, of the United
States engineers in charge of park
improvements, as to what is to be
done this year is carried out, the fac
ilities for getting around in the great
resort will be increased many fold.
The system of roadways will, when
completed, include 800 miles, of which
1853 miles are completed and 1877 re-
main to be built.
The road system of the park IS
designated to give access to many
objects Of interest which abound
through that region. The system in
cludes the belt line or general cir
cult which passes through the more
important centers of interest, the
approaches by which travel is reached
the belt line from boundaries Of the
park, and the side tracks and trails
which are to give access to isolated
objects Of interest. There r six
principals of interest in the park, ac-
cording to Colonel Chittenden's Of
ficial report. Three of them, the
Mammoth Hot Springs, the Norris
Geyser and thee Fire Hole Basin, are
located On a nearly north and south
line and are. roughly speaking. about
20 miles apart. The other three, the
Yellowstone lake, the Grand Canyon
of the Yellowstone and the open coun-
try around Tower Falls, at the north
ern base of Mount Washington, are
likewise located approximately on a
north and south line, about 20 miles
to include these six attractions, and
the circuit to the left. No changes
will be made in the first division Of
the road from Mammoth Hot Sprigs
to Norris, this road having been To-
Gated permanently along the Gibbon
and Fire Hole rivers, past the Foun-
tain hotel to the Upper Geyser Basin
the route is fixed, but the road is
not completed. From Upper Geyser
Basin to the outlet of the Yellowstone
passing directly over the hill from
Thumb. bay to Bridge bay. From the
Thumb to the outlet the lake itself
will be used. giving tourists a boat
ride through fine scenery. From the
outlet to the Canyon Junction no
changes will be made. The route is
not yet located from Canyon Junction
to Tower Falls, but it is proposed
to carry the road over the Washburn
range through the long pass between
Mount Washburn and Dunraven Peak,
with a loop passing over the Wash
burn summit. From Tower Falls to
Mammoth Hot Springs the line has
not yet been located.
At the point where the east and
west portion of the belt line ap-
proaches neares. n another a cross
road will be built from Norris to the
Grand Canyon, and this will be n
of the most popular drives for tour
lists. The total mileage of the belt
line, including the cross road, viii
be about 153 miles. The approaches
from the boundaries of the park will
be four in number, one from eacn Dor
der. The northern approach will ex-
tend from the northern boundary,
near the mou.-- of the Gardner river,
up the valley of that of Middle creek,
and about SO miles in length. The
northern approach extends from the
elevated valley to Jackson's Hole, up
the Snake and Lewis rivers to
Lewis lake. The length of the road
from the southern boundary of the
forest reserve is 33 miles, and the
road is about finished. The western
approach extends from the western
boundary of the park, where Madison
river leaves the reservation, up Mad
ison rive" y the junction of the Fire
Hole. l.re 1T forks, one branch as
cending the Globon and the other the
Fire Hole, until they intersect the
belt line in the valleys of these
streams. This is open to travel, but
not nearly finished. The total mile
age of these approaches is 1872 miles,
of which 1902 miles are in the park
proper and 80 miles in the forest re-
serves. The siae roads will be among
the los important, leading to the
points of greatest interest.
Near Mammoth Hot Springs there
will be a road leading around the ter
race. Another leads to the Middle
Gardner halls and a third to Mount
Evarts. At The Lower Geyser Basin
a branch of lne main road will start
near the mouth of Nez Perces creek,
running along Fire Hole river to
the main road above Prismatic lake.
From the Mammoth Paint Pot near
the Fontain hotel, a side road leads
to the Fire Hole spring and the Great
Fountain Geyser. At the Upper Basin
a road will pass the various objects
OF interest already partially complet-
ed. Three and a half miles abovethe
Upper Basin, a road is already open,
leading to the Lone Star ueyser. A
loop three miles long is partially com
plete- from the road along Yellow
stone, river, leading past Sulphur
mountain. At the Grand Canyon
there will be two roads leading sew
eral miles down the banks OF the can
yon, passing thrilling scenery. One