Show VAST laboratory national monuments protect scientific historic features features several months ago national park service received an urgent appeal from a small boy send me some information he wrote my class is studying about it one might assume that the little boy was revealing an overconfidence in the ability pf af national park service to come across the youngster was not too far out of line the areas that make up the national park system of 0 the united states cut a wide swath across the total of natural and human phe phenomena bomena throughout the entire country there is a genuine thirst tor for knowledge and from to national parks 1500 requests fr informs eleventh tion are received in a series daily in the central office of national park service these requests come not only from school children but also from mature men and women many more thousands of people go directly to the national parks monuments and historic sites to seek first hand for the answers to their questions the national park system serves as a vast laboratory for the study of north american biology geology paleontology history and prehistory pre history the great national parks such as yellowstone Tellow stone glacier yosemite and grand canyon were established primarily for the protection of 0 magnificent scenery but bat each of these parks also contains a boundless variety of natural phenomena the national monuments on the other hando band have been created usually to protect a single scientific or historic feature an extinct volcano an ancient indian ruin or an early american fortification it often has been said that a national park covers a large area while a national monument is small this is not true many national monuments contain only a few acres each but there are a number of geological exhibits in the national park system of such vast proportions that areas of considerable extent are required tor for their protection THE TWO LARGEST areas in the national park system are national monuments these are gatmai and glacier bay in alaska gatmai national monument containing square miles Is a volcanic region the scene of a violent eruption in 1912 which resulted in creation of the valley of the ten thousand smokes glacier bay national monument covering square miles of territory embraces several huge glaciers and a bay choked with icebergs largest national monument in the united states proper Is death valley covering 2891 square miles of desert and mountains here is located the lowest point in the country feet below the level of the sea gatmai and glacier bay national monuments are undeveloped and require much preparation and planning on the part of the visitor before be can explore them but death valley in california so forbidding to the early immigrant now can be visited in comfort and safety by the motorist death valley however Is extremely hot in the summer and the best seasons there are late tall fail winter and early spring lional THE FIRST national monument was devils devil tower in northeastern wyoming established by proclamation of pres theodore roosevelt in 1906 this is an foot column of volcanic rock which stands high above the surrounding country and may be seen tor for many miles muir woods national monument in marin county california just north of the golden gate Is another early national monument having been created in 1908 here her Is a small but fine grove ot of call fornia redwood trees nestling in deep ravine on the slopes of 1 Ta malpais the monument was wai named in honor of john muir the famous naturalist who did much tc t arouse public sentiment for krotec tion of the redwoods and sequoias AMONG THE BETTER knoer national monuments primarily 01 0 scientific interest are the forest on U S highway 66 in east ern era arizona the white sands it ir south central new mexico jack son hole in wyoming adjoining grand teton national park and the th badlands in south dakota east 01 the black hills less well known but accessible by highway are th joshua tree national monument ir fi southern california the organ pip cactus and saguaro national bonu ments in arizona these three areal all contain unusual exhibits of des ert type flora capulin Capuli ji mountain in new mexico craters of the moon aloon in idaho the devils Post pile and pinnacles to in california sunset crater in arizona and wheeler in colorado are all national 1 I monuments illustrating various forms of volcanic action capulin mountain is a particular ly fine example of an extinct vol cano and the highway around the mountain from the bast bas to the rim of the crater fron the summit on a clear cay one has bai a view extending into four states PERSONS interested in caa erns ems will find the following group 0 ot national monuments of inte interest resti jewel cave in south dakota leh man caves in nevada dregoi caves near crater lake park in oregon and goi gos cave in utah shoshone caverns national monument in wyoming li Is not yet developed and Is not open t U the public students of extinct forms of ant mal and plant life will profit front a visit to dinosaur national bonu ment in colorado and fossil cyca national monument in south da kota PERHAPS THE MOST interest int erest ing and unusual of all national mon is a group in southern near the arizona border which in eludes the arches the natura bridges and the rainbow national monuments all thre areas are relatively inaccessible A road does extend fairly close t the first of the natural bridges bu from there on the traveler must pro aeed on toot foot or horseback to read the rainbow bridge the visitor mus make a two day trip by horse with an automobile with over sized tires it is possible to pene the windows section of arches national monument but to the dev ils ll 11 garden one must go on foot fool or horse the story told in chest three national monuments is one ex 0 erosion by wind and water other national monuments whick also tell the story of erosion are cedar breaks zion and capita reef in utah grand canyon and chiricahua in arizona the black canyon of the gunnison gunelson Gunn lson and colo rado in the state of colorado FURTHER information per to national monuments way may be obtained by writing Na tiona park service washington 25 D C or chicago 54 ill |