The New York herald., 1922-06-04

safety's sake, while many of the COM
forts and even luxuries Of home life
were Appropriated as far as possible by
providing telephones, electric irons, wash
machines. tables and benches, dining
pavilions, filling stations, accessory
stores. information booths and free road
maps.
Several months ago the demand for
information relative to the location and
equipment of municipal and other camp
ing grounds became so pronounced that
the American Automobile Association
decided TO gather information concern
ing them. With characteristic thorough
ness this well known organization OF
motor car owners sent out veritable
flood of questionnaires to automobile
clubs. chambers of commerce, highway
associations and other similar bodies re-
questing full details concerning the loca-
tion and facilities provided at the vari-
Gus camp sites in all sections of the
country. Very recently the results of
this investigation were published in the
form of 100 page booklet entitled the
"Ohicial Camping and Camp Site Man
ual," which contains not only useful
summary OF the fundamentals of motor
car camping, but also complete de-
scription of more than 1000 camp sites.
A perusal of this exhaustive analysis
shows a great many interesting things
not previously known. For instance,
the State of California leads all others
in the number of it's camping places
with total of 1856. Montana is poor
second, having only 72, while South
Dakota follows closely with 50. Fourth
in the list is Washington with 46 camp
sites; then comes Oregon. This latter
State contains forty camping grounds.
exceeding by two only the quotas OF
both Minnesota and North Dakota, and
by four that of Michigan. No camp
sites whatever are recorded for several
OF the States, such as Arkansas, Della
ware. Maryland, Mississippi. South
Carolina and West Virginia, though
steps are being taken to organize some
in preparation for the 1922 touring sea-
son.
When considering the distribution of
camping grounds the feature which will
probably be of most value to the aver
age tourist is that relating to their fire.
quency along the main lines of inter-
state traffic. Those transcontinenta1
highways that seem to have progressed
furthest in this respect are the Yellow
stone Trail. the National Parks High
way and the Pixies Peak, Ocean-to-
Ocean Highway. These three important
routes are practically on par one with
sesses almost an even 100 camp sites.
Moreover, the average distance between
these sites is only about twenty-five
or thirty miles. thus insuring satisfac-
tory camping privileges at frequent in
tervals practically all the way from the
Mississippi River to the Pacific coast.
Although not strictly speaking trans
continental route, the Custer Battlefield
Highway is, nevertheless, worthy OF
mention In this connection, inasmuch as
it possesses no less than eighty-two
camp sites, located at very short inter-
walls along a route that extends only
from Omaha to Glacier National Park.
Among the main north and south high
ways the leaders in this respect are the
Pacific Highway and the jefferson High
way. with 81 and 60 camp sites re-
spectively then comes the Meridian
Highway with 46. The National Park
to-Park Highway. which, as its name
implies. is a circuit tour comprising
practically all of the national parks is
likewise literally supplied with camping
grounds
All these figures are Illuminating, but
without doubt the most striking result
of the entire investigation lies In the
demonstration that more than 90 per
cent. of the existing camp sites are lc-
Gated west of the Mississippi River In
other words, it is evident at a glance
that what has come to be regarded as
well established institution in the West
is almost an unknown quantity in the
Eastern States. To those motorists who
have fallen into the habit of expecting