Your National Parks, with Detailed Information for TouristsMills, Enos A.
Philosophy
Your National Parks, with Detailed Information for Tourists
Mills, Enos A.
National parks and reserves -- Canada; National parks and reserves -- United States; West (U.S.) -- Guidebooks
The plan for the development of National Parks includes three types of
hotels, the luxurious, the popular-priced, and inns or shelter cabins
that are clean and comfortable, and that give simple entertainment at
the lowest possible cost. And all buildings should be of an
architecture that harmonizes with the landscape.
Guides in Parks should be of the highest type of culture and
refinement, naturalists who can impart information. Of course they
must be masters of woodcraft. The wilderness is destined to have a
large and helpful place in the lives of the people. This is to be
partly brought about by guides and Park rangers. There should be
guides of both sexes.
The ultimate development should embrace a scenic road-system, roads
built so as to command scenery and to be for the most part on
mountain-sides and summits. They should touch the greatest and most
beautiful spots, and should follow, not the lines of least resistance,
but those of greatest attraction. In places along the forested roads,
openings might be cleared so as to expose near scenes and to enable
travelers to see the game which may come to these openings.
Many roads should be paralleled by trails for people afoot or on
horseback. Of course trails should be made to numerous high or wild
places not reached by roads.
Many persons do not realize the difference between a forest reserve
and a National Park. A forest reserve is primarily used for
cattle-grazing and saw-mills, while a National Park is a region wholly
educational and recreational for your children and yourselves. A
forest reserve is a commercial proposition, while a National Park must
be estimated by higher values. In a paper on the conservation of
scenery, in "The Rocky Mountain Wonderland," I have said:--
We need the forest reserve, and we need the National Park. Each of
these serves in a distinct way, and it is of utmost importance
that each be in charge of its specialist. The forester is always
the lumberman, the park man is a practical poet.... The forester
must cut trees before they are over-ripe or his crop will waste,
while the park man wants the groves to become aged and
picturesque. The forester pastures cattle in his meadows, while
the park man has only people and romping children among his wild
flowers. The park needs the charm of primeval nature, and should
be free from ugliness, artificiality, and commercialism. For the
perpetuation of scenery, a landscape artist is absolutely
necessary. It would be folly to put a park man in charge of a
forest reserve, a lumbering proposition. On the other hand, what a
blunder to put a tree-cutting forester in charge of a park! We
need both these men; each is important in his place; but it would
be a double misfortune to put one in charge of the work of the
other.
In this connection Stewart Edward White recently wrote:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account