The line of approach to the park from the west is by a county road leading from the lower Rogue River Valley across the Cascade range to Fort Klamath. This road follows the Rogue River upwards and about fifteen miles from Crater Lake leaves that river and passes south of the lake and about three miles from it. Here there is a wagon track leaving the county road which ascending by a rough trail brings the visitor at length to the brink of the lake. But he can proceed no farther. To reach the other portions of the park from this point is a feat of mountaineerings, unless he returns to the Rogue River and thence makes his approach by another route. At the point where the county road leaves the river there are still to be seen remnants of an old road built about 30 years ago for wagoning supplies from the Rogue River valley across the mountains to the placer mines which were then worked along the John Day River. This is still remembered as the John Day road. It has long ceased to be used; it is completely obstructed by fallen timber and for many miles can be followed only by the old blazes on the trees. At critical points, however, when it crosses gorges and ravines the old dugways remain. It winds its way by easy grades through magnificent scenery and through forests of trees which were of colossal size when Columbus discovered America. At length it emerges upon the upper platform of the Cascades in the midst of the park with Diamond Lake between two great mountains on the north and Crater Lake on the south. This is the natural line of approach to the park from the west. Unless the boundaries are made to include this road some private party will be sure to re-open it as he may easily do, and levy an extortionate toll upon any visitors who may enter the park. Along this route are numerous open parks which would be quickly seized for the grass they would yield and extortionate rates would be charged for hay. It is believed that the old John Day road should be included within the limits of the park. North of the John Day road are the sources of the south Umpqua River in the most picturesque surroundings and these also should be included in the park.
The region embraced in the limits designated by the bill does not include any of the really grand forest of the Cascades. It is too high. The species within it are firs and pines which never attain great dimensions, nor any marked beauty of form, though they grow in forests whose beauty and impressiveness is derived from the density and masses of foliage. The great trees, such as the Douglass spruce, the sugar pine (here larger than in California), the white pine and the tall, beautiful species of fir flourish at a lower altitude. But if the boundary were carried to the westward some eight or ten miles, it would take in a section of the finest part of the great forest of the Cascades, and a grander and nobler forest cannot be found in the world. There are many thousands of trees of which would yield more than 40,000 feet of lumber. The beautiful open parks in this timber are the breeding grounds and summer pasturage of the deer and the streams still preserve numerous beaver dams. It seems desirable on many accounts that the western boundary should include a large section of this forest belt. The scenery which it contains is of the most beautiful and impressive order. I believe that the addition of a considerable tract west of the limit proposed in the bill would greatly improve the park and avoid the danger of burdensome private control over the natural line of approach to the park. This would all be accomplished by drawing the boundary seven or eight miles farther west than the bill proposed. No settlement has been made and no possessory rights have been established so far as I can ascertain in the addition here suggested and up to the last autumn the entire tract was wholly unoccupied. [11]
Despite the recommendations of Powell and other conservationists, S. 16 again encountered opposition in the Committee on Public Lands, generated primarily by Oregon ranching and sheepherding interests. It was “reported adversely and indefinitely postponed” on February 6, 1888. [12]
With the rejection of his bill Senator Dolph on February 14 wrote to Steel concerning the virtual impossibility of getting Congress to approve legislation for a national park at Crater Lake. He observed:
The majority of the Committee on Public Lands is opposed to the creation of any more National Parks, and there is no possibility of securing the passage at the present session of Congress, and I fear not at any future congress, for a bill creating such a park.
Dolph went on to say that in view of the political realities he had introduced a bill (S. 1817) on February 1, providing that the land surrounding Crater Lake be given to Oregon in trust for a state park. In this regard he noted:
The Committee has consented, however, that I might report a bill granting the lands to the State for the purposes of a park only, and I have reported such a bill. I doubt whether it can pass the House. Should it pass, however, the State can exercise its option to accept the grant or not and no harm is done. Neither is any harm done to the measure if the bill does not pass, or even if it should fail in the Senate. It only attracts attention to the measure. The bill reported by me contains the same description as the bill introduced by me for a National Park. . . . [12]
