Crater Lake National Park Administrative History

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

As one of the "jewels" of the embryonic National Park System, Crater Lake National Park became the focus of Park Service publicity efforts to promote visitation. In 1917 the bureau issued an automobile guide map (a copy of which may be seen below) for the park. The map showed automobile highways leading to the park as well as the park road system, visitor accommodations, trails, and points of interest.

At the behest of NPS Director Mather, the Crater Lake publicity effort was supported by the Southern Pacific Railroad and the National Parks Highway Association. The railroad promoted travel to Yosemite, Sequoia, Lassen Volcanic, and Crater Lake national parks with various excursion fare offers. As a result of negotiations between Mather and the railroad, tickets between Portland and California points during 1917 entitled purchasers to stop over at Medford for a trip to Crater Lake. If a traveler entered the park via one gateway and left by another, his ticket was honored for continuation to his destination. Hence it was possible to go to the park from Klamath Falls and exit out the western gateway to Medford in connection with a trip to Portland. On the other hand, a party bound for California was permitted to stop at Medford, go through the park, and connect again with the Southern Pacific Railroad lines at Klamath Falls.

The National Parks Highway Association, with headquarters in Spokane, assumed leadership in designating a park-to-park highway connecting the major national parks in the West. During the spring of 1917, the association mapped and sign-posted a route from its terminus of the previous year in Mount Rainier National Park to Crater Lake, thus connecting Yellowstone, Glacier, Mount Rainier, and Crater Lake national parks by what was known as the National Parks Highway.

In addition to these efforts, the National Park Service continued the practice of the Department of the Interior in publishing annual general information circulars for the parks. The 1917 circular for Crater Lake not only described the park's scenery and resources in glowing terms but also its visitor accommodations, transportation facilities, and means of reaching the park. The circular described the lake as an "unforgettable spectacle":

Crater Lake is one of the most beautiful spots in America. The gray lava rim is remarkably sculptured. The water is wonderfully blue, a lovely turquoise along the edges, and in the deep parts, seen from above, extremely dark. The contrast on a sunny day between the unreal, fairylike rim across the lake and the fantastic sculptures at one's feet, and in the lake between, the myriad gradations from faintest turquoise to deepest Prussian blue, dwells long in the memory.

Unforgettable also are the twisted and contorted lava formations of the inner rim. A boat ride along the edge of the lake reveals these in a thousand changes. At one point near shore a mass of curiously carved lava is called the Phantom Ship because, seen at a distance, it suggests a ship under full sail. The illusion at dusk or by moonlight is striking. In certain slants of light the Phantom Ship suddenly disappears--a phantom, indeed.

Another experience full of interest is a visit to Wizard Island. One can climb its sides and descend into its little crater.

The somewhat mysterious beauty of this most remarkable lake is by no means the only charm of the Crater Lake National Park. The surrounding cliffs present some of the most striking pictures of the entire western country. These can best be studied from a boat on the lake, but the walk around the rim of the lake is one of the most wonderful experiences possible.

The circular provided considerable information on the services and accommodations provided by the Crater Lake Company, which had agreed to a revised five-year concession contract with the Department of the Interior effective January 1, 1917. The company operated daily automobile service between Medford (83 miles from the park) and Klamath Falls (62 miles from the park) and Crater Lake. Automobiles left the Hotels Medford and Nash in Medford each morning, stopped for lunch at Prospect, and reached the lake in the evening. Returning automobiles left Crater Lake each morning, reaching Medford in time to connect with outgoing evening trains. Automobiles left the White Pelican Hotel in Klamath Falls each morning and arrived at the lake at noon. Returning automobiles left the lake after lunch and reached the White Pelican Hotel in time for supper. The rates for these automobile services were:

Medford to Crater Lake and return   One way (either direction)	$15.00
Klamath Falls to Crater Lake and return   One way (either direction)	8.50
Medford to Crater Lake, thence to   Klamath Falls, or vice versa	15.00

The circular described the hotel and camps operated by the Crater Lake Company in the park. These accommodations, along with the rates charged for such services, were:

Crater Lake Lodge, on the rim of the lake, is of stone and frame construction and contains 64 sleeping rooms, with ample bathing facilities as well as fire protection. Tents are provided at the lodge as sleeping quarters for those who prefer them, meals being taken at the lodge.

At Anna Spring Camp, 5 miles below the rim of Crater Lake, the company maintains a camp for the accommodation of guests, a general store (with branch at Crater Lake Lodge) for the sale of provisions and campers' supplies, and a livery barn.

The authorized rates are as follows:

Rates at Crater Lake Lodge
Board and lodging (lodging in tents), one person:
Per day	$ 3.25
Per week	17.50
Board and lodging, two or more persons in one tent:
Per day	each 3.00
Per week	each 15.00
Lodging in tents:
One person, per night	1.00
Two or more persons in one tent, per night	each .75
Board and lodging (lodging in hotel), one person:
Per day	3.75
Per week	20.00
Board and lodging, two or more persons in one room:
Per day	each 3.50
Per week	each 17.50
Lodging in hotel:
One person, per night	1.50
Two or more persons in one room, per night	each 1.25
In hotel rooms, with hot and cold water:
Board and lodging, one person
Per day	4.25
Per week	22.50
Board and lodging, two or more persons in room
Per day	each 4.00
Per week	each 20.00
Lodging
One person, per night	2.00
Two or more persons in one room, per night	each 1.75
Baths (extra)	,50
Fires in rooms (extra)	.25
Single meals	1.00
Rates at Anna Spring tent camp
Board and lodging, each person:
Per day	2.50
Per week	15.00
Meals:
Breakfast or lunch	.50
Dinner	.75
Children under 10 years, half rates at lodge or camp

The Crater Lake Company operated a general store at Anna Spring Camp and a branch store at Crater Lake Lodge. The stores sold provisions, tourists' supplies, gasoline, motor oil, hay and grain, fishing gear, drugs, Kodak film supplies, and bakers' goods.

While visitors were permitted to provide their own transportation and to camp in the park, subject to regulations, the Crater Lake Company operated in-park concession automobile, saddle horse, and stage transportation services. Fares and rates for these services were:

AUTOMOBILE
Fare between Anna Spring Camp and Crater Lake Lodge:
One way	$0.50
Round trip	1.00
Transportation, per mile, within the park	.10
Special trips will be made when parties of four or more are made up, as follows:
To Anna Creek Canyon, including Dewie Canyon and Garden of the Gods, 24-mile trip, for each person	2.00
To Cloud Cap, including Kerr Notch, Sentinel Rock, and Red Cloud Cliff and Pinnacles, 40-mile trip, for each person	3.00
The Sunset Drive, from Crater Lake Lodge to summit of road at Watchman, at sunset, 10-mile trip, for each person	1.00
HORSE
Saddle horses, pack animals, and burros (when furnished):
Per hour	0.50
Per day	3.00
Service of guide, with horse:
Per hour	1.00
Per day	3.00
ON CRATER LAKE
Launch trip:
Wizard Island and return, per person	.50
Around Wizard Island and Phantom Ship and return (about 15 miles), per person	2.00
Around the lake	2.50
Rowboats:
Per hour	.50
Per day	2.50
With boat puller, per hour	1.00
With detachable motor
Per hour	1.00
Per day	5.00

The circular also contained a section on the principal points of interest (a copy of which may be seen on the following page) in the park and nearby areas. Arrangements for trips to these points in the park could be made at the Crater Lake Lodge. For trips to Mount Thielson, Diamond Lake, and other remote points camp equipage, pack horses, and a guide could be secured at the lodge. [1]

PRINCIPAL POINTS OF INTEREST.

Distances from Crater Lake Lodge by road or trail to principal points.

Name.	Distance and general direction.	Elevation above sea level.	Best means of reaching.	Remarks.
Llao Rock Diamond Lake Devil's Backbone Glacier Peak The Watchman Garfield Peak Dyar Rock Vidae Cliff Sun Notch Dutton Cliff Sentinel Rock Cloud Cap Scott's Peak The Pinnacles Garden of the Gods   and Dewey Falls Anna Creek Canyon Union Peak Wizard Island Phantom Ship	Miles. 8 north 18 north 6.5 north 6 north 5 north 1 east 2 east 3 east 7 east 9.5 east 18 east 20 east 22 east 15.5 southeast 5 10 to 13.5 south 10.5 southwest 3.5 north 3 east	Feet. 8,046 ..... ..... 8,156 8,025 8,060 7,880 8,135 7,115 8,150 ..... ..... 8,938 ..... ..... ..... 7,698 6,940 .....	Auto to Glacier Peak, then on foot. Horseback Auto Auto and foot     do Foot or horseback     do     do Auto and on foot     do Auto     do Auto and on foot Auto     do     do Auto and foot Foot and boat     do	Fine view. Point from which Llao's body was thrown into lake. All-day trip. Pretty lake. Near view of Mount Theilson. Fine view of formation and coloring of Glacier Peak. Highest Point on rim of lake; fine view. Fine view; easy climb Hard climb on foot. If taken on horse- back distance is 6 miles. Fine view. Monster bowlder, 100 feet high. Hard climb on foot. If taken on horseback distance is 6 miles. Fine view. Easy trip by horse; distance 7 miles. Fine view of Phantom Ship. View of Vidae Falls. Walk 1 mile. Easy trail. Fine view; 7.5 miles by auto, 2 miles on foot. Most comprehensive view from rim of lake. End of auto road. Fine drive. Good scenery. 2 miles by trail from end of road at Cloud Cap. Highest point in the park. Grotesque formations. Nice trip. Waterfalls, meadows, pinnacles, and pretty canyons. Beautiful canyon, 300 to 400 feet deep. 4 miles by trail from road. Hard peak to climb. Good view. Extinct volcano crater in summit. Trail to top. Grotesque rock, pinnacled island.

Despite these publicity efforts, visitation to Crater Lake declined in 1917, primarily because heavy snowfall in late spring delayed regular tourist travel by several months. After considerable "shoveling of snow" by Crater Lake Company employees, automobiles arrived at park headquarters on July 7 and at Crater Lake Lodge on July 18. The roads, however, were not in condition for regular travel until August 1. The number of visitors and automobiles that entered the park in 1916 and 1917 were:

	Visitors		Automobiles
	1916	1917	1916	1917
East Entrance	859	1,174	193	293
West Entrance	9,571	5,368	1,293	1,234
South Entrance	1,835	5,103	1,163	1,229
	12,265	11,645	2,649	2,756

A total of 1,766 automobile and 15 motorcycle licenses were issued during 1917, and $4,433 in receipts were collected from vehicles entering the park. [2]

Among the visitors to the park during 1917 was a large group of members of the Knights of Pythias Order. On August 14 the group held initiation ceremonies in the crater of Wizard Island--a practice that had been commenced several years earlier. [3]

Weather continued to play a major role in determining the extent of park visitation. The light snowfall of only ten feet during the winter of 1917-18, combined with warm weather early in the spring, made it possible for automobiles to reach the lake by June 18, one month earlier than the preceding year. As a result visitation to Crater Lake increased to 13,231 in 1918. The numbers of visitors entering the park were:

Pinnacles Road	1,193
Fort Klamath Road	5,625
Medford Road	6,413
	13,231

The statistics relating to the means of transportation of the visitors were:

Crater Lake Stage	516
Automobiles	11,471
Wagons	1,022
Motocycles	10
Mounted on Horse	185
On Foot	27
	13,231

The number of motor vehicles entering the park were:

Pinnacles Road	267
Fort Klamath Road	1,305
Medford Road	1,533
	3,105	[4]

In 1919 visitation increased by more than 25 percent to 16,645, while the number of motor vehicles entering the park rose by some 50 percent to 4,637. Several delegations of visitors toured the park in 1919, thus showing the increasing popularity of the park Among the visiting contingents were 66 members of the Massachusetts Forestry Association on July 28-30 and 17 members of the Travel Club of America on August 16-18. The most illustrious visit, however, occurred on August 11 when nearly 400 members of the National Editorial Association visited the park. Since the lodge could not accommodate all of these guests, the Ashland and Medford chambers of commerce furnished blankets and camping supplies and the park contributed tents for the convenience of the group. [5]

The 1919 general information circular advertised several new attractions in the park that were designed to enhance the visitor's experience. The public camp grounds on the rim west of the lodge had been enhanced, one of the principal improvements being the installation of a large tank and pumping equipment to furnish an ample water supply not only for drinking and cooking purposes but also for showers. Sightseeing opportunities had been improved by a

splendid new trail from Crater Lake Lodge to the shore of the lake. . . [It] has given pleasure and refreshment to thousands, and, as was expected, elderly people and visitors wholly unaccustomed to climbing availed themselves of the opportunity to make the delightful trip from the lodge to the edge of the lake, thence in motor boats around the lake to Wizard Island and the Phantom Ship, and to other points of interest. The new trails to Garfield Peak and the Watchman were also exceedingly popular during the past season. A trail to the summit of Union Peak was constructed last year.

Five small launches, ten steel rowboats, and a 36-foot boat had been ordered by the Crater Lake Company to replace seven rowboats and a small launch that had been damaged in a storm the previous September. In addition to these boats that were available for rent by the hour or day, an expanded schedule of launch trips on the lake was provided:

Launch trips:
	Wizard Island and return, on regular schedule, launches leaving lake shore at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m., per person	.50
	Wizard Island and return, special trip, per person	1.00
	Around Wizard Island and Phantom Ship and return (about 15 miles), per person	2.00
	Around the lake	2.50	[6]

Visitation to Crater Lake increased by more than 20 percent in 1920 to 20,135. NPS Director Mather reported on the reasons behind this increase:

Travel to Crater Lake Park has each year shown a healthy increase over the previous year, and again this season we have a most gratifying increase over last year, despite the gasoline shortage and other circumstances that threatened several times to discourage or curtail long tours by automobile. It was noted also that motorists were more inclined to stop over in the park, and camp with their own outfits longer, than it has heretofore been their custom to do. There certainly exists here a splendid opportunity for the development of interest in camping and fishing, but to get the very best results in encouraging this use of the park the Diamond Lake area should be added. With a road from Crater Lake to Diamond Lake the park would become at once one of the best recreation areas of the Pacific coast and would be patronized by motorists from Canada to Mexico.