Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-29
NATIONS FORESTS
{. APPEAL TO 100000
Half Million Visitors Enjoy Sum-
mer Outings in Vast Gov
ernment Reserves
TOURISTS VIEW LANDMARKS
Sportsmen Find Their Paradise
Where Big Cameo Abounds
on Federal Property
TOURISTS VIEW LANDMARKS

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 2S.-
Before the years outing season is over
nearly half a million persons will have
sought recreation and health in the
national forests of the United States.
According to the record of the United
States department of agriculture, the
total last year was, in close figures,
4O6,775. With the finest mountain
scenery and much of the best fishing
and big game hunting in the United
States, the national forests, made more
and more accessible each year through
protection and development by the gov
ernment are fast becoming great ma
tional Fairgrounds for the people
The use of the forests for recrea-
ton is as yet in its beginning, but
is growing steadily and rapidly-in
some of the forests at the rate of
100 per cent per annum The day
seems not far distant when million
persons will annually visit them.
VISITORS NUMBER THOUSANDS
The records show that the seasonal
use of the forests runs from two
months in a Colorado forest, such as
the Routt, to twelve months in an
Alaskan, such as the Tongass. But
the uses differ. In Colorado the 1000
visitors entered the forest to fish,
camp, climb and to drink the medici-
nal waters; in Alaska the 1000 almost
solely to hunt and fish. The $1,000 per-
sons who went into the Coconino for
est, Ariz., during nine months, went
to camp or to enjoy the scenery.
The most popular of the forests is
the Pike, containing the famous peak
of that name. The various attrac-
tions within it's limits, including the
scenic railway, drew 100000 tourists
and others. By principal states the
national forest visitors numbered 2S,-
900 in Arizona, 100000 in California,
10000 in New Mexico, $4,000 in Ore
gon, $4,000 in Idaho, 10000 in Utah
and 1900 in Washington.
OF the natural wonders and land
marks of interest in the national for
ests several have been set apart as
national monuments, among them
Cinder Cone. great lava basin in
California; the Gila cliff dwellings, ex-
tensive remains of a prehistoric race
Grand Canyon of the Colorado. in
Arizona, Jewel Cave, South Dakota;
Lassen Peak, the terminus of a long
line of extinct volcanoes in the Cas-
cades; the Pinnacles, a collection of
remarkable jagged peaks in Califor-
mia and the Tonic, a group of pre-
historic ruins in the Tonto forest in
Arizona. Inc Big frees, Ildcler
Park, the Petrified forest, the Oregon
caves, and numerous other phenomena
serve to attract other hossts Of Visi-
tors.
PARADISE FOR sPORTsAIEN
The sportsman finds his paradise in
the national forests. In many of
them big game abounds. The rang
ers and guards, besides the service
they perform against the spread of
fires, often point out the best site for
the camper and the easiest route. A
record of 921S miles of trail cut, 1896
miles of road laid out, and 1851 miles
of telephone line strung tells what
the government has done in the way
of pushing the conveniences of civili-
cation into the primeval forest. The
day of the wilderness of the savage
and the pioneer is swiftly passing
the day of the national forests as pro-
ductive resources and as national
parks approaches. The report of last
years administration by the United
States department of agriculture evil
dences the rapidity of the transfer
nation.