Show va ANCIENT VILLAGES PRESERVED fascinating villages built by indians centuries ago in inaccessible eaves caves perched high in canyon walls wails are preserved in mesa verde national park the cliff cities of which cliff palace above Is typical are noted for their size site and excellence of building techniques NOT ONLY SCENERY rain forests cliff IS cities show diversity of parks I 1 features national parks has become a synonymous phrase for superlative scenery but there are also many other diverse interests represented in the national park system of the united states in olympic national park in washington for example are unusual I 1 rain forests where as a result of a mild climate and abundant winter rains a tropical appearing jungle has been created tar far north in the temperate zone here also Is the home of the rare roosevelt elk tor for the protection of which apart a part ot of the park was established as a national monument as early as 1908 on the other hand far to the south ot of the olympics in the southwestern estem corner comer of colorado mesa verde national park preserves the ruins of a once flourishing civilization which was brought to an end by a lack of rainfall the national parks also include t two wo areas famous tor for their health giving springs hot springs national park in arkansas and platt national park in oklahoma the olympic mountains are known to thousands of veterans of world war II 11 who returned to puget aund sound ports from the pacific theaters from far out at sea these glistening snowy peaks were the first welcoming sight of home mount olympus nearly feet in height and a score or more national parks of other ice capped moun eighth bains are in in a series eluded in the 1325 square miles of 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 seattle and tacoma are virgin forests alpine meadows deep blue lakes and sparkling trout streams which constitute one of the finest unspoiled wilderness areas in the united states the rain forests are found la the lower valleys on the western slopes where from september I 1 to june I 1 there is an average annual rainfall of inches nearly 12 feet in these rain forests are douglas f ars irs meas airing up to 17 feet in diameter and feet in height there are many miles of foot and horseback trails in olympic national park and a motor highway encircles the peninsula from this main highway other roads radiate for short distances into the park 0 0 0 IN THE CORNER of colorado where the rocky mountains mountain meet the arid highlands of the southwest there rises a high flat topped table shaped mountain early spanish explorers called it the mesa verde for the table top heavily forested with pinon and juniper was always green on this green mesa and in its caves and canyons peaceful farming indians indiana lived tor for 1300 years cultivating the soil and built their villages or pueblos to preserve the ruins of these fascinating villages mesa verde national park has been established the area of the park Is 80 square miles according to archeologists archaeologists the indians came to america from their asiatic homeland by the northern route thousands of years ago and tor for many centuries lived as roving hunters about the beginning of the christian era certain of early hunters arrived in the region of the mesa verde they liked the security afforded by this high mountain with its it peculiar cliffs and settled down to farm first inhabitants of the mesa verde were known as basket makers maker tor for while they made excel lent baskets they had no pottery nor did they use the bow and arrow they lived in open caves and hunted with the throwing stick later they learned the art of potte pottery ry making acquired bows and arrows and built simple pit houses about the time that charles martel 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 cultural progress on the mesa top they built hundreds ol of villages some with buildings ot of mud Q and others of stone they improved their pottery and began the weaving of cotton cloth these people apparently were peace loving and in the lith century about the time that william wililam the conqueror was landing in britain they also were beset by enemies many of them therefore moved 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 2 astonishing both for or their size and excellence of building techniques toward the end of the century a 24 year long drouth forced these people to abandon their cliff clia cities and move to more favorable lands HOT SPRINGS na national park located in a mountainous region of central arkansas contakis conta his 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 tree free campsites and there is a free government bathhouse for people who cannot afford to pay tor for private baths 0 0 PLATT NATIONAL park contain ing bromide and sulphur springs la is located at the town of sulp sulphur hur okla small in area this park li is known chiefly by those tor for whom the waters are prescribed the park is provided with free campor campground and picnic areas and overnight accommodations may be found in sulphur 4 asat VIRGIN FOREST large spruce trees abound along H oh river in olympio national park one of the finest unspoiled wilder ness areas in the country |