S-Parks, September 1958 Page: 2
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: S-Parks and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
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CAMPING-AMERICA'S NEW TOP VACATION
CAMPING, America's new top vacation, is defined in Encyclopedia Americana
as the art of dwelling close to Nature in comparative comfort. Though camping
is new to many, Encyclopedia Britannica says that it is old as the human race.
Whatever it is and whatever its age, camping is the most notable vacation
trend of the century. Just about. one of every four persons in the United States
went camping this year.
People of all ages go camping. There are children in most camping parties;
many of them are babes in arms. In contrast, a columnist of the Uvalde, Texas,
LEADER wrote: "A Uvaldean who told me she had a wonderful time on the Labor
Day holidays was Mrs. Molly Dale who recently celebrated her 90th birthday.
Where did Mrs. Dale go? Up to Garner Park where she enjoyed camping out and
sleeping on-a cot."
George S. Wells predicted this Spring in the Saturday Evening Post
that 40 million Americans would spend their vacations camping in 1958. TRAVEL
magazine reported in August that half a million were housed under canvas in the
public parks and forests that month. LIFE magazine featured tent camping in a
July issue.
Records of Camping in 1957 support the 1958 predictions. Oregon state parks
had three fourths of their total 1957 income from public overnight camping. The
increase was 47 per cents over the previous year. Sears Roebuck sold four times as
many tents in 1957 as in 1949. Montgomery Ward anticipates its sale of camping
equipment this year will be $200 million. Illinois parks, which had 30,000 campers
in 1952, has increased to 400,000 in 1957. Tennessee is planning an extensive system
of tent camping areas in 17 state parks.
The National Park Service annually gathers statistics from public parks in the
48 states. With 89 agencies reporting in 1957, the NPS found that 72 per cent of
the overnight use of state parks was at tent and trailer campsites.
Double the number of last year's campers have been in Texas State Parks this
year. In July, 42,977 camping permits were issued. More than half of them were
for camping in Garner State Park. Camping fees are charged in this park yet there
was demand for its camping spaces equalling that in parks with free camping like
Abilene, Lake Brownwood, Fort Griffin and Fort Parker. Palo Duro Canyon was
another heavy camping area but permits are not required there so there is no
accurate total to be quoted.
Camping facilities in the Texas state parks vary greatly. Caddo Lake state
park has full trailer service with connections to all utilities. Its camp area was
doubled this year and Manager Alvin Starr says there is need to redouble for 1959.
Tyler state park has a popular restricted camping area. Individual entrance
keys are issued to its campers. The same keys protect its restrooms. An experienced
camper says it is the best camping place in the Southwest.
Popularity of the Tyler locked campsite emphasizes a strange situation that has
been commented upon by several park managers. They say there is an apparent
hostility between campers and picnickers. Campers say the picnickers do not keep
an area clean. Picnickers do not like displays of family wash on campers' lines.
Separate areas are recommended.
Screened camping shelters with concrete floors had heavy use this summer at
Buescher, Blanco, Garner and Huntsville state parks. Women campers are enthus-
iastic about the protection they afford from mosquitos, bugs and things that crawl.
It was not unusual to see a camp where the women slept in the shelter and the
men outside on cots.
Continued on Page 9
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Texas. State Park Board. S-Parks, September 1958, periodical, September 1958; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1567341/m1/4/?q=%22Landscape+and+Nature+-+State+and+National+Parks%22: accessed July 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.