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Show Travel Figures Given For Record Year At Parks, Monuments The national parks and monuments monu-ments located in southern Utah, and northern Arizona, as a whole, had more visitors in 1951 than in any previous calendar year. Superintendent Sup-erintendent Paul R. Franke who is the supervisory and coordinating coordinat-ing officer for Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Capitol Reef, Cedar Breaks, Pipe Spring and Zion National Monuments reported re-ported a very excellent year. A loss in visitors to Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks was more than offset by gains in the other areas. The Zion areas enjoyed the greatest number of visitors. Zion National Park in 1954 had 415.-042 415.-042 visitors who came in 133,022 automobiles. The increase may be compared to the former record made in 1953 when 389,415 visitors vis-itors arrived in 125,571 automobiles. automo-biles. The gain in visitors, 25,597, amounted to 6.6 per cent. Zion National Monument, locally referred re-ferred to as the Kolobs, also came prominently Into the travel picture when 1800 people, mostly hikers, visited the area. This is a gain of 1.010 people, over double dou-ble that of any previous year. The publicity given to these Zion areas in national magazines, and the physical improvements made by the government and concessioner conces-sioner for the comfort of the tourists no doubt accounts for the increase. Reveals Decrease "Bryce Canyon National Park travel record is somewhat more spotty. In 1954 we registered 238,-157 238,-157 visitors who came in 72,331 automobiles," Mr. Franke said. When compared to the 1953 totals (Continued on Back Page) PARKS TRAVEL (Continued from Page One) of 212,820 visitors in 75,586 cars there is a loss of 4,663 visitors and 3,255 automobiles. "This loss is significant," said Mr Franke, "as is is no doubt accounted for by the lack of developments here compared to visitor needs." Mr. Franke discounts the rumors that the new fee schedule adversely affected Bryce Canyon travel. Exactly Ex-actly the same fee schedule was put Into effect at Zion and a record rec-ord year was experienced there. Cedar Breaks National Monu-mnt Monu-mnt also shows a considerable loss of travel. In 1954 there were 57,091 people who arrived in 15,-056 15,-056 automobiles. Compare this to 1953 when 62.935 people came in 15,505 automobiles. This loss, Mr. Franke stated, Is no doubt due to the past summer's highway construction con-struction program over Cedar Mountain, where 32 miles of paving pav-ing was completed bv the National Na-tional Park Service on Utah State Highway 14. Road construction signs at each end of this cross mountain road turned away many ma-ny would be visitors. Capitol Reef National Monument Monu-ment made advances and built up new travel records. In 1954 the "Reef" enjovrd 12.907 visitors who came in 3.109 automobiles. Compared to 1953 when 9.991 visitors vis-itors were recorded there was a gain of nearly 30 per cent. Pipe Spring National Monument, Monu-ment, across the Arizona border near Fredonla Is part and parcel of the southern Utah scenery and history. This pioneer fort must be reached over poor roads from Fredonla, Arizona, or Hurricane, Utah. In spite of its isolation the area also showed a sound visitor vis-itor Interest. In 1954 there were 4.423 visitors while only 3.553 people visited the area in 1953. |