Show THE MAJESTIC chain of parks park s incorporates spectacular mountain scenery features towering peaks deep forest clad canyons and lake stud ded gorges combine to provide a spectacular and awe inspire ing wonderland in the rocky mountains here where the majesty of the mountains reaches its supreme heights congress has established a chain of national parks beginning with yellowstone low stone in 1872 the these parks exemplify the many forms and faces of the with bac each pos essing a distinctive character of its own three of the parks glacier yellowstone low stone and rocky Mount mountain aln bestride s t r ide the continental national parks divide so that the waters second from a series their fields lakes and streams drain into both the atlantic and the pacific the fourth grand teton embracing the highest portion of the drains into snake river a major tributary of the columbia GLACIER PARK lying up against the canadian border and forming a part of waterton glacier international peace park contains nearly a million acres of land and water although there are still some 60 glaciers many of which the summer visitor can reach without great difficulty it Is the work of much greater glaciers of thousands of years ago which carved the many valleys of the park that are chiefly responsible for its name in the valleys and basins so formed lie more than lakes these reflecting the sheer peaks which rise from to feet above them provide much of the spectacular beauty of the park that makes it one of the most photographed in the whole park system A highway crosses the park by way of logan pass on the continental divide and short spur roads extend to several of the finest of the lakes however glacier Is primarily and most enjoyably a horseback park the national park service calls it the foremost trail park as it contains about 1000 miles of trails the trails rangers insist provide the best means of really getting acquainted with the park glacier also stands next to yellowstone in quantity and variety of big game of which the mountain goat Is probably the most famous ape ties cles GRAND TETON aply a few miles south of yellowstone and flanked on the north and east by jackson hole national monument Is extraordinary both because of the jagged rugged grandeur of its mountains and because of the fact that these rise abruptly from what geologists call the fault mock trough of jackson hole in n other words on their eastern side they have no foothills the tip of grand teton with an elevation ot of feet aeeti is more than feet above jackson hole and the lovely series of lakes jenny string leigh jackson and others that thai nestle against the base of the range these mountains too owe much of their sculpture to glaciers of which a few remain in the higher basins packed with the square mile area of alpine park are 22 peaks of more than foot elevation as wen well as numerous lakes glaciers snowfields snow fields and extensive forests no highway crosses the range except at teton pass where the teton range joins the snake river range aly only foot and bridle trails penetrate the back country much of the area particularly the upper teton country is virgin mountain forest THE VISITOR to rocky mountain national park lying about 75 miles northwest 0 of denver is more than a mile and a half above sea level before he enters it the parks lowest elevation is around feet its highest the summit of lon longs ls peak is within the park are some 65 named peaks of 0 more than feet elevation and scores of lakes small and large here again lakes and peaks have been carved by the slow and inexorable movement of glacial ice rocky mountain is a great hikers hiker and mountain climbers park as are grand teton and glacier but it also offers the motorist one of the greatest thrills to be found in any national park this is the trail ridge road of which more than tour four miles are above feet elevation and 11 miles are above the foot timber line from few places in the world Is there offered such a far flung panorama of spectacular mountain scenery although the national park service encourages mountain climbing in these and other parks of the system its ranger force is called on year after year to go to the rescue 0 of f climbers who venture among the peaks alone or under unskilled guidance and it is seldom that a season passes without one or more fatal accidents to those who disregard the safety rules which the service enjoins on all climbers the fundamental piece of advice to the venturesome tur esome is if you want to climb consult a ranger get his advice and once you have it abide by it it may mean the difference between life and death IN GLACIER national park there is almost every type of public accommodation concession operia operations in rocky mountain under contract with the government are limited but at estes park on the kas east side and grand lake on the west side there are numerous hotels and camps just outside of the national park at af grand teton there are na no hotel lodge or camp concessions but there are varied accommodations in the town of jackson and at many places in jackson hole |