Show In These United States National Parks Ready Re dy For 46 Travel Rush RushBy By Features Feature America is hitting the vacation trail this spring and summer and the crowds in the national parks are expected to be the great great- greatest est in their history Some of the parks are already open and all of them will be operating at full fuU schedule by June says Newton B. B Drury director of the National Park Service Lodges s and hotels which have been closed for three years arc be be- being being being ing reconditioned New staffs are arc being recruited and trained for the summer season Few of the sightseeing busses used in the national parks were suit suit- suitable suitable suitable able for war use so most of the fleets are still intact Yellowstone Yosemite Grand Canyon and Glacier national parks will have complete sightseeing ices It is expected that th t enough man man- manpower manpower manpower power will be available to restore full service in the other parks of the system Some reconditioning work may take more than six months Staffs Stalls may not be as complete and skilled as they were before 1941 but the concessionaires stated their plans are being rushed and they have high hopes of giving good service service service ice by June More than for reconditioning reconditioning reconditioning the cabins lodges lo and cafe cafe- cafeterias cafeterias cafeterias in Grand Canyon Bryce and Zion national parks and at Cedar Breaks national monument is be be- being being being ing spent by the Union Pacific rail rail- railroad railroad road roag which operates the facilities in these parks The renovation program also in In- includes in- in includes Includes purchase of 22 new pas 29 busses and a fleet of pas 9 sedans for charter service The prewar five-day five expense all all se tours through all the parks and e r HALF DOME At Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite Valley n shorter tours in Zion Bryce and Grand Canyon will be resumed Ranger crews maintained by the national park system during the war years for vital conservation work will have their ranks augment augment- augmented ed to protect the parks' parks natural beauties and resources They'll also protect the crowds who often take chances in the un un- unfamiliar unfamiliar un- un unfamiliar familiar wilds An intensive road-building road and road improvement program is planned by the department of the interior continuing through 1946 and 1947 to meet the influx of auto auto- automobile automobile automobile mobile tourists who will follow in inthe inthe inthe the wake of new car production While the national parks are al al- always always al- al always ways free and open the usual tourist tour tour- tourist tourist facilities were suspended dur dur- during during during ing the war Park attendance dropped from a high of visitors in 1941 to a new low of in 1943 That the 1946 total will surpass the attendance of 1941 is indicated by the rush of late fall and winter visitors which started immediately after V-J V Day Shenandoah national park in Vir Vir- Virginias Virginia's Virginias Virginia's Virginias Virginia's ginia's Blue Ridge mountains was virtually isolated during gas ration ration- rationing rationing rationing ing but on the Sunday following the surrender of Japan four cars car carsa cara a minute were checked in at the park Eastern Parks Offer Variety To The Tourist The Shenandoah Shenandoah h and Smoky mountains national parks offer an unsurpassed beauty treat to mid- mid midwesterners midwesterners midwesterners westerners whose previous vaca vaca- vacations vacations vacations have shown them the wonders of the Great Smoky mountains national park sark park embraces acres of which are still covered by primeval forests The peaks and ridges of the range rising above 1000 feet and almost always veiled in n mist are the starting point of some miles of trout streams The north entrance to the park is 30 miles southeast of Knoxville Tenn Term making it easily accessible by y all types of transportation Busses make two round trips from Knoxville through the park daily There are are two camp grounds in the park ark and hotel and tourist camp facilities abilities are available in nearby cities and towns and at Knox Knox- Knoxville Knoxville Knoxville ville and Asheville Blue Ridge national parkway a mile 85 strip of parkland connect- connect connecting connecting ing ng the Great Smoky mountains and Shenandoah national parks parks' will eventually have a modern highway running its entire length U. U S. S S route 11 provides an almost direct connection between the two parks at present A more scenic approach to Shen Shen- Shenandoah Shenandoah Shenandoah from north of Roanoke Va Vais is s along the completed portion of the he parkway which connects with Skyline drive running the entire length of the park along the crest of the Blue Ridge The Skyline drive is miles long ong with parking areas picnic grounds and a camping area along its ts length Visitors may enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Shenandoah Shenandoah Shenandoah doah valleys valley's fertile farmlands on the he west and the rolling roIling hills of Piedmont plateau on the east ft 1 1 MM 6 ANGEL LANDING Zion national park rises 1425 feet teet above the floor of the canyon There is a foot toot trail to the top |