A little more than seventy years ago a group of men were seated about a campfire in the mountains of Wyoming. They were discussing the unusual experiences through which they had gone during the previous month. For some years strange rumors had gone around about a land high in the mountains where hot springs bubbled forth in great numbers and where holes in the ground shot forth great columns of steam - a land of huge waterfalls and colorful canyons. These men had just been investigating the rumors and had found that they were mostly correct.

*See page 623 for a list of state park administrative agencies.

What they were most interested in, however, was how they should use the information they now had about this new land. Since it was unappropriated public land, they were free to file claim and make it their own private property. After some discussion a lawyer among the group, Mr. Cornelius Hedges, suggested that instead of seeking to make this wonderland their own private property they try to convince the government that this unusual section of country should be set aside for the use of all people. Out of this beginning grew the great system of national parks. The first one, as you may have guessed, was the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, established by President Grant in 1872. It was the first national park in the world. In 1916 the National Park Service, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, was created by Congress to manage the Federal park areas. These national parks have become an important part of the conservation program of the United States.

The national parks are rich in hiking opportunities. Not only do they furnish some of the most beautiful scenery in America, but they also have hundreds of miles of excellent hiking trails with frequent camp sites. Beautifully illustrated booklets on any of the national parks can be secured free of charge by writing to the U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, D. C. If you will turn to page 629 in this book you will find brief statements about hiking facilities in some of our national parks. These statements have been taken from the booklets.