REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT, Crater Lake, Oreg., December 6, 1913. SIR: The annual report of conditions in the Crater Lake National Park, since the fiscal year ended June 30, 1912, is herewith submitted for your consideration. GENERAL STATEMENT. Crater Lake National Park was created by act of Congress approved May 22, 1902, and is located on the crest of the Cascade Mountains in southern Oregon, about 60 miles from the California line. It is approximately 13 miles east and west and 18 miles north and south, and contains 249 square miles, including the wreck of Mount Mazama, at one time a giant among the mountains of the world. Subsequently all that portion above 8,000 feet elevation disappeared; sank into the bowels of the earth, leaving a vast crater 54 miles in diameter, which gradually filled with pure, crystal water to a depth of 2,000 feet, on all sides of which the walls of the cauldron still tower to a height of from 500 to nearly 2,000 feet. It was first discovered by white men on June 12, 1853. There were 22 prospectors in the party, of whom but one survives, Mr. John W. Hillman, of Hope Villa, La., who was also the leader, and was probably the first one to see it. It was scarcely known, even among residents of southern Oregon, when the writer, on August 16, 1885, started a movement for the creation of a national park, which was only successful after 17 years of strenuous labor. Then came a long struggle for development, which is just now beginning to bear fruit. Probably the first step in that direction consisted in stocking the lake with rainbow trout, which was also done by the writer, who, in 1888, carried a few minnows 19 miles and got them in the waters of the lake in good shape. The fishing now is unsurpassed and the fish are of excellent quality. ROADS. Heretofore roads within the park have been of the crudest possible character, there being but little done in the line of construction beyond the cutting of trees and clearing away the fallen timber. Many years ago the Government constructed such a road over the mountains, connecting Jacksonville with Fort Klamath, the latter then being a remote military post in the Indian country, to which TO it was necessary to transport supplies. This road crossed the mountain range about 5 miles south of Crater Lake. Soon thereafter a few travelers beganto visit the lake and a crude road was marked out by the wagon wheels that eventually became the only means of reaching the lake with vehicles. Soon after the creation of the park an appropriation was made by Congress for the construction of a wagon road from the Jacksonville and Fort Klamath road, which was done, but the last ascent had a maximum grade of 33 per cent, which has ever since been the bane of automobile drivers, many of whom were compelled to leave their machines at the foot of the hill, a mile from the rim. MINING CLAIMS. Mining operations are confined to claims located prior to the act of Congress of May 27, 1908, prohibiting the location of mineral claims within the park. Active claim is asserted to nine locations by the Mount Rainier Mining Co. in the Glacier Basin district (north-central section of the park), while in the vicinity of Longmire Springs (south-central section) the Eagle Peak Mining Co. is working toward the development of two claims, the Short Canyon Mining Co. three claims, and Sherman Evans and Ike Evans two claims. Improvements on all of these claims consist largely of tunnels. No ore shipments have ever been made, except for test purposes, from any mine within the park, though operations of various kinds have been in progress for nearly 20 years. Thirty-two claims were relinquished during 1912. TRAVEL. During the season ending with the date of this report 12,326 visitors to the park registered at the park office, on the Government road, near the southwest corner of the park. There is no systematic effort to obtain registration of entrances at other places on the park boundaries, but the ranger in the Carbon River district estimates the number of entrances on the north side as being 1,000 and the ranger at Ohanapecosh Station estimates the number entering there at 175, making the number of visitors reach the total of 13,501, as compared to a total of 8,946 for the season of 1912, a gain of 52 per cent. A systematic count of the park-gate registration shows the 12,326 registrations at that point to be distributed as follows: People from Tacoma, 3,843; from Seattle, 3,374; from other points in State of Washington, 2,415; from points outside the State of Washington, 2,694. The number of private automobile permits issued during the season of 1913 was 1,192, as compared to 674 issued in 1912, a gain of more than 76 per cent. The number of people entering in private automobiles was 7,148; the total number of machine entrances, 1,626. The figures given in the last sentence above do not include the automobile stage entrances, by which means 3,822 people entered, 3,109 having come to Ashford, on the Tacoma Eastern Railroad, thence to the park in automobile stage, the remaining 713 having come on automobile stages from Tacoma; 212 people entered in horse-drawn vehicles; 529 people came into the park for camping purposes. The average length of time each person remained in the park is estimated at three days. Visitors are not required to register on going out. GUIDES. Seven persons were licensed to act as guides within the park during the season of 1913. Four of these guides made their headquarters at Reese's camp, in Paradise Valley; one at Wigwam Hotel, in Indian Henrys Hunting Ground; and two in the Carbon River (north side) district. No accidents occurred during the season of 1913. FIRES. It is very gratifying to report that no fires have occurred within the park during 1913. Park forests are exposed to grave dangers approximately $700,000, and recommending that it be placed under the continuing contract feature, in a manner similar to certain harbors. Of this amount an appropriation was made of $125,000, for use during the season of 1913, of which about one-half was used. A temporary road was constructed from Kirk, the most northerly station of the Southern Pacific extension from Klamath Falls to Natron, to the park boundary at Wheeler Creek, where permanent work was commenced early in the season. From this point the road closely follows, first Wheeler Creek, then Sand Creek, reaching the rim of the lake at Kerr Notch, the lowest place in its walls. Sand Creek is a deep canyon remarkable for the great number of sharp pinnacles within it, because of which the road is known as the Pinnacle Road. The grading and draining of this road has been completed the full length, 6 miles. Eight miles west of this is located the road heretofore referred to, on which, about 1 miles from the rim, a second construction camp, known as Camp No. 2, from which operations were directed, was established. From Camp No. 2 to the lake a new grade has been completed, _replacing the old 33 per cent one with a maximum of 10 per cent. Between these two roads about 5 miles have been cleared and fully 2 miles have been graded. The connection between these two roads will be completed early in the season of 1914, so that next year there will be three entrances to the park. From Camp No. 2 about a mile of road has been graded toward Park Headquarters, and most of the permanent locating has been accomplished to the Klamath entrance. This portion of the system will be drained and graded during the coming season, as also that portion leading from park headquarters to the Medford entrance. In the report of the Secretary of War to Congress it was estimated that seven years would be required to complete the work of construction, but in my opinion it will be more economical and by all odds more satisfactory to increase the force and complete the work in onehalf that time, which can be readily done, if Congress will increase the appropriations accordingly. There is no reason why several large construction camps should not be maintained, now that a way has been opened up to transport supplies and machinery. TRANSPORTATION. A line of automobile stages has been maintained from Medford, a distance of 85 miles, on the main line of the Southern Pacific. It is expected that similar stages will meet all regular passenger trains on the northerly extension of the Klamath Falls-Natron cut-off at Chiloquin. During July, August, and September special excursion tickets are sold to Crater Lake at reduced rates, that will enable the tourist to go one way and return the other. Private automobiles and vehicles will have no difficulty in entering the park from Medford, Klamath Falls, or the northerly points of eastern and central Oregon. HOTELS. There are two permanent camps in the park where meals are served indoors, but in both of which it has heretofore been necessary to |