The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-12-19

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cent underestimate. If these fig
ures seem large, it must be remem-
bered that the National Forests are
large. In the West, it is practically
impossible to go into the mountains
without entering National Forest.
In the Rocky Mountain District
alone these summer Fairgrounds
cover an area of over 10000, 900
acres and contain many wonderful
scenic attractions and some of the
best camping, hunting and fishing
grounds in the country.
Colorado's Forests proved the big
gest attraction to visitors. Of the
million people who summered in
these wonder-lands, over 10 per cent
spent their vacation outing in The
Pike, Colorado and San Isabel Ma
tional Forests, which include within
their boundaries, the higher reaches
of the Front Range of the Rockies
from Wyoming to Mexico People
came here from every state in the
Union and % foreign countries in
Guiding Europe, Africa, Japan, China
India, New Zealand, Porto Rico
Alaska, Mexico and the South Sea
Islands.
The National Forests of Minneso-
ta's Ten Thousand Lakes region
ranked next to Colorado in popular
ity, the increase in travel to these
Lake State vacation lands being 1eO
per cent greater in 1919 than in
1917.
The seekers after health, rest and
recreation, who came to Colorado
during the past season, the report
states, spent 1A million man-days
in the National Forests. The human
value of recreation is hard to esti-
mate yet based on the cost of the
theatre, the circus, the ball game OF
the expenses of motoring, hunting
or fishing trip, we can safely assume
a minimum market price of 81. 90 pei
day for wholesome recreation. On
this basis, the value of outdoor life
and enjoyment to the visitors to Col
orado's National Forests was 81, $780,
600. 1t is also estimated that these
recreation seekers spent at least ten
million dollars in the State during
the season. The recreation use OF
the National Forests has very sub.
>stantial commercial value which rs
yearly becoming more appreciated by
both the Federal government and the
general public.
The sixteen National Forests of
Colorado, the report continues, were
visited in 1919 by $4,000 automo-
biles carrying 665, 1000 motorists
This is an increase over 1917 of 80
per cent in the number of cars and
approximately Is per cent in the
number of motorists. Wyoming For
ests showed an increase of per cent
in motor travel while the National
Forests of the Black Hills, South Da-
kota led the West with 10 per cent
increase in the number of visiting
automobiles.
On many of the transcontinental
highways, travellers registers were
located on important passes and a
count made of automobiles passing a
given point. At Monarch Pass on
the Rainbow Route, in the Cochetopa
National Forest, 1000 people reg
istered, and over $500 cars crossed
the Pass during the season. Sixty
per cent of the travellers were from
| Colorado and 40 per cent from SO
states and foreign countries. The
Cochetopa Pass register on the same
Forest contained 3,270 names and
actual count showed that, over 5000
cars crossed the Pass.
At Tennessee Pass on Pixies Peak
Ocean to Ocean Highway in the
Leadville National Forest, $500
names were recorded, of which num-
Der 43 per cent were people from 40
states other than Colorado, and 8