Show 71 a J se 3 no t 2 s. s v doe Unit J nite 1 there ere I pa 7 iia la go go ay i eun ve 01 blind of a ANCIENT VILLAGES PRESERVED Fascinating vil villages ages e e ate built by Indians centuries ago in Inaccessible caves perched high In canyon walls are preserved In Mesa Verde National park The cliff cities of which Cliff Palace above Is typical are arc toted noted for their size and excellence of building techniques sired NOT flOT ONLY SCENERY e r re re- with reu u ca ca Ra 8 n Forests Cuff Ciff Cities 21 er S' S i eo 80 Show Diversity of Parks Features Pea t t new newt e in m National Parks has become a synonymous phrase for superlative scenery but there are also many other diverse ht hi is interests represented in the national park system of the United Unit Unit- hine nine ed States In Olympic National park in Washington for example example example ex ex- ex- ex ample are unusual rain forests where as a result of a mild climate and abundant winter rains a tropical appearing was jungle has been created far north elice in the temperate zone Here also is I the home of the rare Roosevelt elk 4 up for the protection of which a part of the park was established as a national monument as early as 1908 On the other hand far to the south D of the Olympics in the southwestern corner of Colorado Mesa Verde National National National Na Na- park preserves the ruins of a al l IT T once flourishing civilization which was brought to an end by a lack of S g rainfall The national parks also also Rf include two areas famous for their a ter save r health-giving health springs springs Hot Hot Springs Wash Wish National park in Arkansas and Platt National park in Oklahoma The Olympic mountains are known to thousands of veterans of Ads World War II who returned to Puget sound ports from the Pacific thea thea- Utah From far out at sea these glistening snowy peaks were were the first welcoming sight of home Mount Olympus nearly feet in height and a score or more National Parks of other ice ice- capped mountains moun moun- Eight h are inIn inIn included in in- In a Series eluded in the 1325 square miles of ot Olympic National park Occupying the heart of a great peninsula this park is surrounded on three sides by water the Pacific ocean on the west the Straits of Juan de Fuca to the north and Puget sound on the east Within a few hours of j Seattle and Tacoma are virgin forests forests forests for for- i- i ests alpine meadows deep blue l lakes es and sparkling trout streams which constitute one of the finest unspoiled unspoiled unspoiled un un- spoiled wilderness areas in the United United Unit Unit- f ed States The rain forests are arc found In Inthe inz z the lower valleys on the western western western west west- ern slopes where from September Septem Septem- s d ber 1 to June 1 there is an average aver er average age annual rainfall of inches nearly 12 feet In these rain raina rainforests a forests are Douglas firs measuring meas meas- 1 v t tiring up to 17 feet in diameter and feet in height There are many miles of foot and horseback trails in Olympic National National Na Na- park and a w motor highway encircles encircles encircles en en- S circles the peninsula From this main highway other roads radiate d for tor short distances into the park 10 e e ef f IN THE CORNER of Colorado O where the Rocky mountains meet the arid highlands of the Southwest there rises a high topped flat-topped table table- shaped mountain Early Spanish explorers called it the Mesa Verde I It t t t for forthe the table top heavily forested pinon and juniper was always n. n nut gre green green On this green mesa and in l sty ert 1 its caves aves and canyons peaceful I farming Indians lived for 1300 I r r ryea yea cultivating s-cultivating the soil and built t a i uI the 1 il or pueblos To preserve the ruins of these fascinating villages villages villages vil vil- lages Mesa Verde National park parkES parkES LES ES has bas been established The area of Mo Mil the park Is 80 square miles According to archeologists the Indians Indians Indians In In- j came to America from their 26 Asiatic homeland by the northern northe rn route thousands of years ago an anfor and for tor many centuries lived as roving hunters About the beginning of the Christian Era certain of at early huntera hunters hunt hunt- f ers era arrived In the region of the Mesa Verde They liked the security afforded afforded afforded af af- af- af forded by this high mountain with n err it its Ita peculiar pecullar cliffs and settled do down downto wn I doer to farm First Inhabitants of th thor the o or 0 tt 1 Mesa Verde were known as Basket Basks t ru I In u Makers for while they made excel excel- bl blood I lent baskets they had no pottery nor did they use the bow and ar ar- row They lived In open caves and hunted with the throwing stick Later Later Lat er they learned the art of pottery potter making acquired bows and arrows arrows arrows ar ar- rows and built simple pit houses About the time that Charles Martel Martel Martel Mar- Mar tel was defeating the Moors at Tours or roughly in the Eighth century a new people joined the Basket Makers on the Mesa Verde and together they made remarkable remarkable remark remark- able cultural progress On the mesa top they built hundreds of villages some with buildings of ot mud and others of stone They improved their pottery and began the weaving weaving ing of cotton cloth These people apparently were peace loving and In the century about the time that William William Villiam Wil Wil- liam the Conqueror was landIng landing landing land land- ing in Britain the they also were beset by enemies Many 1 of them therefore moved of off the open mesa top and constructed their villages in inaccessible caves located high in canyon walls These villages many of them well preserved today are astonishing both for their size and excellence of building tech tech- Toward the end of the century century cen cen- tury a year long drouth forced these people to abandon their cliff cities and move to more favorable lands HOT SPRINGS National park located located lo- lo In a mountainous region of central Arkansas contains in its thousand acres 47 mineral hot springs reputed to have therapeutic value These springs were known to the Indians and early Spaniards and were used by them Within the national park are free campsites and there is a free tree government bathhouse for people who cannot afford afford afford af af- ford to pay for private baths PLATT NATIONAL park containing containing contain contain- ing bromide and sulphur springs Is located at the town of Sulphur Okla Small in area this park Is known chiefly by those for whom the waters are prescribed The park parkis is provided with free campgrounds and picnic areas and overnight accommodations accommodations ac ac- may be found in Sulphur Y Ir I ri Y y l s su u n j VIRGIN FOREST Large Lare spruce trees abound along alon Hob Hoh river In n Olympic N National park one ono of the finest unspoiled wilderness wilderness wilderness wilder wilder- ness areas reas in the country |