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Show VACATION WONDERLAND California Parks Embrace Masterpieces of Nature U"M Features. Nature created her greatest masterpieces in California 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-ra Nevadas of California. They were the first parks created since establishment of the original national park, Yellowstone, in 1872. The three additions were Yosem-ite, Yosem-ite, already famous for a single magnificent I valley; Gen-National Gen-National Parks eral Grant, a li j little area of inira onjy four In a Series square miles 1 containing the General Grant grove of big trees, and Sequoia, Se-quoia, dedicated chiefly to preserving preserv-ing much more extensive stands of these forest giants, but possessing also mountain scenery of superb quality. In 1940, Kings Canyon, a k t( If s I! 0 'BIG TREES' . . . Man Is dwarfed nnder the forest giants of the Congress Con-gress group of Sequoia glganteas 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 it. The "big trees," found at their best in all of these parks, often are called redwoods. Actually they are closely related, yet distinct species. The Sequoia sempervirens, usually called redwood, grows only near the coast of California, with a few in southern Oregon. The Sequoia gi-gantea gi-gantea grows only In a narrow belt from 4,000 to 8,000 feet In altitude, along the west slope of the Sierras. The sempervirens grows to greater height, although some of the glganteas glgan-teas are more than 300 feet tall. Many of the latter exceed 30 feet in liameter. The General Sherman tree, probably at least 3,500 years old, In the Giant Forest In Sequoia Se-quoia National park, Is believed to be the largest as well as the oldest living thing. Only a little more than 272 feet high, It has a base circumference of over 101 feet; Its greatest base diameter Is 36.5 feet. Sixty feet above the ground Its diameter Is 17.5 feet; at twice that height it is still 17 feet through. Its largest branch, 130 feet above the ground, Is nearly 7 feet In diameter. Many trees in Sequoia approach the General Sherman in 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 con-verted into a cabin by Hale Tharp, a California pioneer, in the late 50s, and he occupied it for many years. THE FAMOUS Yosemite valley and the Mariposa grove of big trees comprised the first state park in the United States, having been given to the state by the federal government for that purpose in 1864, by an act signed by Abn.ham Lincoln. Although Al-though Yosemite National park was established in 1890, neither the valley val-ley nor the grove was a part of it until 16 years later, when California redecded it to the United States. Hardly less famous than Yosem-ito's Yosem-ito's Half Dome, towering sheer above the valley nearly a mile, and El Capitan, nearly 4.000 feet of perpendicular per-pendicular granite, are the waterfalls water-falls of this magnificent park. Upper Yosemite fall has an unbroken drop of 1,430 feet; Ribbon fall is even higher, with a 1,612-foot drop. Numerous Nu-merous others range from 300 to more than 600 feet in height. Unfortunately, Unfor-tunately, for the late summer visitor, visi-tor, many of these waterfalls go dry by mid-August when there has been little rain or snow in the high country. coun-try. According to geologists, the deep valleys of the west slopes of the Sierra were carved by the rushing waters of the same streams which now flow down them. Originally V- i shaped and narrow, the. Yosemite j and others were invaded By glaciers during the ice age and these, moving mov-ing forward with Inexorable force and power, ground away the sides of the valleys to give the present-day present-day canyons their U-shape. Yosemite valley Is probably one of the most heavily used areas in the entire park system. On some days, as many as 30,000 persons have been in the valley at one time; as many as 12,000 persons have occupied oc-cupied its campgrounds in a single night. These, of course, are weekend week-end and holiday crowds; consequently, conse-quently, the visitor who wants to avoid them will plan his visit at other times. 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 species, particularly black bear and deer, and the feeding of these animals ani-mals by visitors are discouraged by National Park service. The "gentle deer" Is possessed pos-sessed of 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 hu-man consumption cause them serious digestive troubles as well as getting them out of the habit of seeking their normal and natural foods. Both Sequoia and Yosemite have a wide variety of public accommodations, accommoda-tions, ranging from simple housekeeping house-keeping cabins on up. Both offer accommodations throughout the year and are very popular in winter since they offer excellent snow and ice sports. Accommodations for visitors visi-tors to Kings Canyon are found only in what was formerly General Grant National park, although many use facilities at Giant Forest in Sequoia, 30 miles farther away. j ..:!&jJr' Px i'y-oXyS V - - 1 FAMED CATARACT . . . Nevada falls Is one of the many spectacular spectacu-lar waterfalls In Yosemite National Na-tional park. |
