Evening star., 1924-12-14
BLUE RIDGE SITE is SELECTED
FOR NATIONAL PARK IN EAST

tains, depth of valleys, ruggedness of
the area and the unexampled variety
of trees, shrubs and plants. The re-
gion includes Mount Guyot, Mount LIE
Conte, Clingmans Dome and Gregory
Bald, and may be extended in several
directions to include other splendid
mountain regions adjacent thereto.
Handicaps Listed.
dicaps which will make the develop
ment of them into a national park
matter of delay; their very rugged
ness and height make road and other
park developments a serious under
taking as to time and expense. The
excessive rainfall also (not yet ac-
curately determined) is an element
for future study and investigation in
relation both to the development
work, subsequent administration and
recreational use as national park.
"The Blue Ridge of Virginia, one Of
the sections which had your commit
tees careful study, while secondary
to the Great Smokes in altitude and
some other features, constitute in our
judgment the outstanding and logical
place for the creation of the first
national park in the Southern Appa-
lachians. We hope it will be made
into a national park and that its
success will encourage the Congress
TO create second park in the Great
Smokey Mountains. which lie some
800 miles distant southwest
1T will surprise the American
people to learn that a national park
site with fine scenic and recreational
qualities can be found within
three-hour ride of our National Cap
ital and within a days ride Of 0,oO0-
coo of our inhabitants. It has many
canyons and gorges with beautiful
cascading streams. 1t has some
splendid primeval forests and the op-
portunity is there to develop an an
imal refuge of national Importance
Along with the whole Southern Ap-
palachians this area is full of his
tortc interest, the mountains looking
down on valleys with their many
battlefields of Revo'u 'utionary and
Civil War periods, and the birth
the United States Within easy ac-
cess are the famous caverns of the
Shenandoah Valley. e..
Mountain-Top Drive.
1.-THE greatest single feature, how
ever, is possible skyline drive along
the mountain top, following a con-
tinuous ridge and looking down
westerly on the. Shenandoah Valley
from 2,500 to $500 feet below, and
also commanding a view of the Pied
mont Plain, stretching easterly to the
Washington Monument, which land
mark of our National Capital may
be seen on a clear day. Few scenic
drives in the world could surpass it.
I'VE therefore recommend the Gre
alton. of national park in the part
Of the Blue Ridge Mountains of vir-
ginia above described and shown ap-
proximately on the accompanying
map.
I'VE have not attempted to esti-
mate the cost of acquiring this area
as we are not sure that it falls with
In the scope of our committees work.
We suggest, however, that a spirit of
constructive cooperation on the part
Of the State of Virginia and among
some OF the large land owners of this
region with whom we have been in
touch promises reasonable prices and
perhaps q number Of donations.
I'VE suggest that II Congress thinks
favorable of this proposed park site,
a commission be appointed to handle
the purchase and to solicit. contri-
buttons, and to arrange condemnation
proceedings IL the State of Virginia
deems 1t wise. The creation Of such
a park may well be made contingent
on a limited total land cost"