Show VACATION WONDERLAND Cal California fornia Parks Embrace Masterpieces of Nature Features Nature created her greatest masterpieces in California I and many of them are incorporated into the national park system Unsurpassed mountain scenery embracing rugged peaks imposing waterfalls and untouched wilderness areas and the famous big trees are among the major attractions in national parks of the High Sierras In 1890 three national parks were formed all in the Sierra Sier Sier- ra Nevadas of California They were the first parks created since establishment of the original national park Yellowstone In 1872 The three additions were YosemIte Ite already C famous for a single magnificent valley General Gen Gen- National Parks eral Grant a little area of Third only four foursquare In a Series square miles containing the General Grant grove of big trees and Sequoia SequoIa Sequoia Se Se- dedicated chiefly to preservIng preserving preserving ing much more extensive stands of these forest giants but possessing also mountain scenery of ot superb quality In 1940 Kings Canyon a aBIG aBIG au u J ff f r i r Y Yv v y f Y i iY Y H I r. r tG r BIG TREES' TREES Man is dwarfed under the forest giants of the Congress Congress Congress Con Con- gress group of Sequoia in Sequoia National park great untouched wilderness of deep canyons rushing streams and more sequoias directly adjoining Sequoia National park was established and little General Grant was absorbed in tn it The bi big trees found at their best in all of these parks often are called redwoods Actually they are closely rela related ted yet distinct species The Sequoia usually called redwood grows only near the coast of California with a few in southern Oregon The Sequoia gi- gi grows only in a narrow belt from to feet in altitude along the west slope of the Sierras The grows to greater height although some of the gigan- gigan teas are more than feet tall l Many Tany of the latter exceed 30 feet teet in The General Sherman tree probably at nt least years old in the Giant Forest In Sequoia Sequoia Sequoia Se Se- National park is believed to be the largest as well as the oldest living thing Only a little littlemore littlemore littlemore more than feet high It has a abase abase abase base circumference of over feet its greatest base diameter is feet Sixty the ground its diameter is feet at twice that height it is still 17 feet through Its largest branch feet above the ground Is nearly 7 feet in diameter Many trees in Sequoia approach the General Sherman in hi size and thousands of others deserve the name of giant A fallen sequoia burned hollow centuries ago and known as the Tharp log was converted converted con con- into a cabin by H Hale le Tharp a California pioneer in the late and he occupied it for many years a a THE FAMOUS Yosemite valley and the Mariposa grove of ot big trees comprised the first state park parkIn in the United States having been bee g given to the state by the federal government for that purpose in 1864 by an act signed by Abraham Lincoln Although Although Although Al Al- though Yosemite National park was established in 1890 neI neither her the valley valley valley val val- ley n nor lr the grove was a n part of it until 16 years later when California it to the United St States tes Hardly less famous than Yosemite's Yosemite's ites ite's Half Dome towering sheer speer above the valley nearly a mile am amEl and andEl andEl El Capitan nearly feet of perpendIcular perpendicular perpendicular per per- granite arc are the waterfalls waterfalls waterfalls water water- falls of this magnificent park Upper Yosemite fall has an unbroken drop of 1430 feet Ribbon fall taU is even higher with a foot 1612 drop Numerous Numerous Numerous Nu Nu- others range from to more than feet in height Unfortunately Unfortunately Unfortunately for the late summer visItor visitor tor many of these waterfalls go dry by mid-August mid when there has been little rain or snow in the high coun coun- try According to geologists the deep valleys of the west slopes of th the Sierra were carved by the ue rushin rushing waters of ot the same streams which now flow down them Originally V V- shaped and narrow the Yosemite and others were invaded by glaciers glacier during the ice age and these moving moving moving ing forward with inexorable force fore and power ground away the sides side of the thc valleys to give ive the present present- day canyons their U Yosemite valley is probably on one of the most heavily used areas in inthe inthe inthe the entire park system On some som days as many as persons person have been in the valley at one time as many as persons have occupied occupied occupied oc oc- oc- oc its campgrounds in a single night These of course are weekend weekend weekend week week- end and holiday crowds consequently consequently consequently conse conse- the visitor who wants t to avoid them will plan his visit a at other times S a a a aIN IN ALL THREE of the High Sierra parks there is good fishing for which a state license is required Each also contains a great variety of wild animal and bird life As in a number of the other parks too great familiarity with the larger large species particularly black bear am and deer and the feeding of these animals animals animals ani ani- mals by visitors are discouraged by National Park service The gentle deer is possessed possessed possessed pos pos- of or sharp razor-sharp hooves which can and do cause serious injuries to incautious visitors The bears also should be viewed at a distance for their apparent tameness is deceptive Feeding these animals is no kindness to them foods prepared for human human human hu hu- hu- hu man consumption cause them serious digestive troubles as aswell aswell well wen as getting them out of the habit of seeking their normal and natural foods Both Sequoia and Yosemite have havea a wide variety of public accommodations accommodations ranging from rom simple housekeeping housekeeping housekeeping house house- keeping cabins on up Both offer accommodations throughout the year and are very popular in winter since they offer excellent snow anc and andice andice ice sports Accommodations for visitors visitors visitors tors to Kings Canyon are found only in m what was formerly General Genera Grant National park although many use facilities at Giant Forest Fores in Sequoia 30 miles farther away R r r V Vy y w h L fr-eV fr t tY Y r Lt ka V j V Vy V y A k 4 n 4 x V V V s 4 G s i ii i FAMED CATARACT Nevada falls is one of the many spectacular lar waterfalls In Yosemite National Na- Na park |