CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Construction, Development, And Planning Activities In Crater Lake National Park: 1916-Present

WEST ENTRANCE

The road from Medford to the west entrance of the park, 69 miles has been greatly improved within the last year. Forty miles of this road has been surfaced with crushed rock, and with the exception of 6 miles will all have been relocated and reconstructed by the end of the present working season.

SOUTH ENTRANCE

Of the 50 miles of highway between Klamath Falls and the south entrance to the park, 20 miles have been macadamized within the last year, and the remaining 30 miles are being prepared for macadam or gravel.

EAST ENTRANCE

Construction work is underway on 40 miles of the 108 miles of highway between Bend and the east entrance to the park.

NORTH ENTRANCE

A 16-foot road has been constructed by the Forest Service from Diamond Lake to the north boundary of the park, and when the road building schedule of the State is completed this will be an important entrance to the park. [7]

Throughout the mid-1920s development projects at Crater Lake were concentrated on improvements to road, trail, and utility systems and construction of facilities designed to improve visitor services and park operations. In 1923, for instance, Mather reported on improvements that had been made to the park approach roads and the need to bring the park roads up to those standards:

A most gratifying development has been the notable improvement of approach roads to the park. The Crater Lake Highway out of Medford is now nearing completion and by next season will be widened and surfaced to the park gate. The work on the Klamath Highway has been similarly pushed even more energetically. Construction of The Dalles-California Highway is being carried along rapidly, so that within two years it will be a most important approach highway.

The unprecedented travel over our own 57 miles of roads punished them severely, and while they were maintained as something better than passable the time has come when surfacing is imperative. Oregon has spent and is spending tremendous sums to bring visitors safely and comfortably to the park gate, and in simple justice to all concerned the Federal Government must hold up its end. All three entrance roads contain stretches of volcanic dust which rut deeply and dust up miserably but which can be surfaced at comparatively small cost. The improvement of these stretches together with the light graveling of about 25 miles of the park road system is not only an immediate need but an absolute obligation. . . .

In addition to the roadwork a variety of new construction projects were carried out in the park during 1923. Among the most important, according to Superintendent Thomson, were:

A standard combination mess hall and bunk house was erected at Lost Creek, and firewood stored in it at the close of the season for the use of preseason visitors next year. Two new toilets complete with lavatories were erected at the Rim auto camp ground, and two oil-burning water heaters installed in the new comfort station, so that hot shower baths were available all season. A large septic tank was also constructed at this camp ground. Two similar toilets were constructed at Anna Spring auto camp ground. A large barn was constructed at Anna Spring, a highly satisfactory type of building provided with kicking bars and hinged mangers, an arrangement permitting of its conversion in 15 minutes into a warehouse for winter storage of trucks and other large equipment. Two 20,000-gallon water tanks were installed at the Rim auto camp. A 70-foot log boat landing was constructed at Wizard Island. A rustic screen was erected to eliminate clotheslines from the Rim landscape. Over a thousand feet of pipe was laid in various camp grounds. Sixty new signs were painted and distributed. A new bear-proof meat house was constructed at Government Camp. A large latrine was built at Government Camp. [8]

The year 1924 saw the completion of the western and southern entrance roads to the park and improvements to the eastern entrance approach road. Superintendent Thomson reported: