Evening star., 1937-02-21
VAST RECREATION
AREA IS MAPPED
Boulder Dam Development
to Include Dude Ranches
and Boating.

natural and man-made wonders OF
the new Boulder Dam Recreational
Area on foot, horseback, by boat,
automobile and airplane, and may
spend either a few hours or num-
Der Of weeks resting comfortably or
participating enthusiastically in varied
recreational activities in the area, If
the National Park Services long-range
development program Is carried out
There may be dude ranches, float
ing swimming barges, sandy bathing
beaches desert gardens, tennis courts,
swimming pools, amphibian planes
taking off and landing on Lake Mead,
boat trips into the lower reaches OF
the Grand Canyon, visits to the VAL
lev of Fire, foot trails to walk, bride
paths to ride, game fishing, obServa-
ton lookouts, picnic grounds, mu-
seuns housing prehistoric relics, but
they will not be allowed to detract
from the natural beauty and character
OF the area, large parts of which have
been seen by few men.
The National Park Service has
drafted plans extending 20, 80, SO
years into the future for this entirely
new type Of project and Is keeping IN
mind the fact that the area is not
being considered as a national park
but as an intensive development for
the use of extensive recreational and
educational facilities around monu-
mental reclamation reservoir.
Many Other Interests.
The great dam and the artificial
lake looking like giant mirage in
the barren land, will always be the
eenters of recreational as well as
reclamation interest, but there are
many other points nearby worth visit
ing Some have been selected for i'm
mediate development, others for fu-
ture development II the number OF
visitors increases.
The service has not recommended
any definite boundaries for the recrea-
tional reserve, but its program report
covers an area of approximately $500
square miles in the form of rough
rectangle 100 miles long from near
Las Vegas, New, on the west, TO
Grand Canyon National Monument
on the east, and rs miles wide through
the middle.
1t lies in the path of great share
OF transcontinental railroad and motor
traffic and is very close to many OF
the Southwestern national parks,
monuments and forests. Travel to the
dam has been steadily increasing and
reached 1000 day even before the
hn Sem
tember IL that started generation OF
power.
The recreational development de-
pends largely upon the accessibility
of the area and much road building
Is necessary. Major roads are planned
to form a loop around the reserve,
with minor roads or spurs leading to
observation points, overnight cabins
and special areas of interest.
Large NavigabIe Area.
The lake and reservoir, formed by
Bowlder Dam, winds, now wide ana
open. now narrow between canyon
walls. for us navigable miles from
near Boulder City to the Grand Can
yon of the Colorado and extends an
arm 80 miles north up the Virgin
River forming triangular develop
nent area. The three major recrea-
tional areas will be located on the
points Of this triangle. one at Boulder
City in connection with nearby Hem
enway on the lake in the west, one
ut St. Thomas toward the northern
tip of the Virgin River arm of the
0>lr ot
southeast, the first logical crossing
place on the lake below the Grand
Canyon Of the Colorado.
The park service plans overnight
accommodations for tourists at these
points, with lodges, cabins and other
comforts provided. At Pierce's Ferry,
the major development will be north
Of the ferry, but there will also be
cabins on the south shore for those
who do not plan to cross.
Day-use areas, with facilities for
picnicking, boating, bathing, sight
seeing, are suggested for early de-
velopment at six points, and, if tour
ist travel increases tremendously,
similar areas are suggested Tor future
development at four other locations.
Observation points and overlooks are
suggested for Fertilization Hill, Hual-
pai Wash and Black Canyon.
Dude Ranches Contemplated.
Dude ranches are considered for
construction near Forlorn Hope
Springs, Virgin Peak and Muddy Peak
some time in the future. The region
east of Pierces Ferry to Grand Canyon
National Monument will be left free
of concentrated use developments OF
any kind.
The extreme fiuctuation of the lake
.-as much as ITS feet-makes bath
ing arrangements difficult. The park
service is considering construction of
floating barges and bath houses that
will rise and fall with the water.
The best views of the dramatic and
man-size scenery of the area are OBJ
tanned from boat trips over the lake,
through canyons, by tremendous rock
masses rising thousands of feet, al
though the clear air makes them ap-
pear deceitfully small and near. Trips
over the entire lake are too long to be
managed in one day and the service
anticipates use of tourist overnight ac-
commodations by visitors who will
take the boat trip from one of these
pESnpTS