It follows that forests and parks, so different in spirit and purpose, must be handled wholly separately. Even the rangers and scientific experts have objects so opposite and different that the same individual cannot efficiently serve both purposes. High specialization in both services is essential to success. THE NATIONAL PARKS AT A GLANCE [Number, 18; total area, 10,739 square miles] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL PARKS | | AREA IN| IN ORDER | LOCATION | SQUARE | DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATION | | MILES | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hot Springs, | Middle Arkansas | 1-1/2 | 46 hot springs possessing 1832 | | | curative properties--Many | | | hotels and boarding houses--20 | | | bath-houses under public | | | control. | | | Yellowstone, | Northwestern | 3,348 | More geysers than in all rest 1872 | Wyoming | | of world together--Boiling | | | springs--Mud | | | volcanoes--Petrified | | | forests--Grand Canyon of the | | | Yellowstone, remarkable for | | | gorgeous coloring--Large | | | lakes--Many large streams and | | | waterfalls--Greatest wild bird | | | and animal preserve in world. | | | Sequoia, 1890 | Middle eastern | 252 | The Big Tree National | California | | Park--12,000 sequoia trees | | | over 10 feet in diameter, some | | | 25 to 36 feet in | | | diameter--Towering mountain | | | ranges--Startling | | | precipices--Large limestone | | | cave. | | | Yosemite, 1890 | Middle eastern | 1,125 | Valley of world-famed | California | | beauty--Lofty cliffs--Romantic | | | vistas--Many waterfalls of | | | extraordinary height--3 groves | | | of big trees--High | | | Sierra--Waterwheel falls. | | | General Grant, | Middle eastern | 4 | Created to preserve the