Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-12-10
AMERICA MORE
BEAUT|FU I'LL THAN
FOREIGN LANDS
Tourists Do Not Need to
Cross the Seas to Find
Gorgeous Scenery, Says
Park Service Report


Washington. Dec. 9.-Americans
who spend millions abroad for
scenery and recreation are told in
the annual report of the national
park service, made public, that
these may be found in greater
abundance and beauty in their ma
tive land.
Winter sports, now in the minds
Of those who can afford the ever
Increasing cost Of a trip to Font
Romeu in the French Pyrenees,
somewhere in the Swiss Alps, are
among the things that may be had
here at home. The report calls
attention to the unexcelled oppor-
tunities offered in the national
parks for winter vacationing and
winter sports" and asserts:
"Those in Yosemite valley are
declared to surpass the offerings
Of many foreign winter resorts,
Rocky Mountain, Mount Rainier
and La Fayette national parks are
also available for winter sports in
surroundings unexcelled."
Advantages of the national parks
for all year round activities are
also portrayed. Yellowstone and
the other parks offer scenic possi-
bilities, and accommodations are
offered "to meet the varied tastes
and all degrees of income, means
and inclination"
Stephen B. Mather, director of
the national park service in send
ing the report to Secretary Fall re-
xrtnu h OF Of fnlf n q
parks and their increasing popular
ity as evidenced during the past
year, which marked the fiftieth
anniversary Of Yellowstone.
Number of Visitors
During the past year million
and a quarter persons visited the
parks, an increase of nearly fifty
thousand over the record establish
ed the year before. This showed
an increase of approximately 8S2,-
600 over the visitors in 1915.
Taking up in detail the several
!, parks, the report in part says:
yellowstone park is reported as
having had its most successful sea-
son. OF the 81 500 motorists COM
ing in their own cars, $4,000 camp
out in the free public camp ground
with their own equipment. The
park trail system was used by sad
die horse parties more than ever
before Yellowstone park prob
ably offers the best trout fishing in
the country.
I'm spite of severe winter the
park antelope herd was the only
one to suffer much loss. This loss
is reported as having been largely
made up by birth of kids during
the summer. The buffalo herd is
increasing so rapidly that legisla.
tion Is needed authorizing the dis
position of surplus buffalo in or
der to keep the herd within the
winter feeding capacity OF the hay
ranch.
eTravel into Yosemite park
passed the 100000 mark in spite
of the poor condition OF the park
roads. 1t would seem that the time
has now come when, If the gov
ernment is to fulfill its obligations
to the people visiting Yosemite,
congress should provide ample
funds for the improvement Of the
park road system.
Grand Canyon Park
"Grand Canyon park is enjoying
its greatest year as tourist re-
sort, 84,700 persons having visited
it the past year. In order that WIS.,
itors would make wider use of the
canyon trails and thus gain COM
prehensive view of the vastness of
the gorge and its wonders below
the rim a new tourist facility, the
Phantom ranch, built near the
mouth of Bright Angel creek at
the bottom of the canyon.
"Rocky Mountain park again
leads all other parks in the number
of visitors recorded with the re-
markable total of 219,164 persons.
"a new era for Crater Lake ma
tional park is noted with the acdui-
sition of the public utility enter
prise within the park by group
Of public-spirited citizens Of Ore
gon. An eighty-room addition to
the Crater Lake lodge is under
construction which it is said will be
entirely completed and furnished
by the opening of the 1924 season.
= "a 20 per cent increase in travel
is reported for Mount Rainier park,
it having entertained total of
70.376 visitors"
The following summary was in
c1uded in the report, showing the
number of visitors to the various
parks during the 1922 season: Hot |
Springs Ark, 106,164 visitors;
Yellowstone, Wyo. 1929; Sc
quia, Calf, 27614; Yosemite,