Transcriber’s Note
The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. Only obvioustypographical errors have been corrected.
The photograph "The Rainbow Natural Bridge, Utah", facing page 8, is missingfrom the source document even though presented in the List of Illustrations.
THE BOOK OF
THE NATIONAL PARKS
Nature's greatest example of stream erosion
THE BOOK OF
THE NATIONAL PARKS
BY
ROBERT STERLING YARD
CHIEF, EDUCATIONAL DIVISION, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT
OF THE INTERIOR
AUTHOR OF "THE NATIONAL PARKS PORTFOLIO"
"THE TOP OF THE CONTINENT," ETC.
WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1919
PREFACE
In offering the American public a carefully studied outline of itsnational park system, I have two principal objects. The one is todescribe and differentiate the national parks in a manner which willenable the reader to appreciate their importance, scope, meaning,beauty, manifold uses and enormous value to individual and nation. Theother is to use these parks, in which Nature is writing in large plainlines the story of America's making, as examples illustrating theseveral kinds of scenery, and what each kind means in terms of worldbuilding; in other words, to translate the practical findings of scienceinto unscientific phrase for the reader's increased profit and pleasure,not only in his national parks but in all other scenic places great andsmall.
At the outset I have been confronted with a difficulty because of thisdouble objective. The rôle of the interpreter is not always welcome. IfI write what is vaguely known as a "popular" book, wise men have warnedme that any scientific intrusion, however lightly and dramaticallyrendered, will displease its natural audience. If I write the simplestof scientific books, I am warned that a large body of warm-blooded,wholesome, enthusiastic Americans, the very ones above all others whosekeen enjoyment[Pg viii] I want to double by doubling their sources of pleasure,will have none of it. The suggestion that I make my text "popular" andcarry my "scien