As fast as funds are available for that purpose the National Park Service is having standard signs placed along the roads and trails of this park for the information and guidance of the motorists and other visitors that use the park roads and trails.
These signs, in general, consist of information signs, direction signs, elevation signs, and name signs, all of which are of rectangular shape and mounted horizontally; and milepost signs, rectangular in shape but mounted diagonally; all of which usually have dark-green background and white letters, or vice versa; and danger or cautionary signs, most of which are circular in shape and usually have red background and white letters; and comfort station, lavatory, and similar signs, triangular in shape, having dark-green background and white letters. These last signs are so mounted that when pointing downward they designate ladies’ accommodations and when pointing upward they designate men’s accommodations.
The text on the standard road signs is in sufficiently large type to ordinarily permit their being read by a motorist when traveling at a suitable speed; however, as an additional safeguard, the motorist must always immediately slow down or stop or otherwise fully comply with the injunctions shown on the circular road cautionary signs.
Because of lack of funds, it has not been possible to place cautionary signs at all hazardous places in the roads; therefore the motorist must always have his car under full control, keep to the right, and sound horn when on curves that are blind, and not exceed the speed limit, which is 20 miles per hour on straight, fairly level road and 12 miles per hour on curves, narrow, or steep descending sections of road. [24]
Visitation to Crater Lake continued its general upward trend from 1926 to 1931 with the exception of a slight decrease in 1927, the result o a shortened travel season because of some 51 feet of snow during the winter of 1927-28. During this six-year period visitation nearly doubled from 86,019 in 1926 to 170,284 in 1931, while the number of private automobiles entering the park more than doubled from 26,442 in 1926 to 56,189 in 1931. While the number of private automobiles entering the park increased, the number of persons entering by auto stage declined from 792 in 1926 to 535 in 1931.
Various factors contributed to this major increase in travel to the park. Road improvements both within and outside the park facilitated travel. In 1926 the Cascade line of the Shasta route of the Southern Pacific Railroad, connecting Eugene with Klamath Falls, was completed, thus bringing a rail terminal within about twenty miles of the park. That same year the Crater Lake National Park Company negotiated a fifteen-year contract with the Standard Oil Company to construct and operate a “stone-and-rustic” service station at the junction of Sand Creek and Anna Spring roads at Government Camp, thus providing a more centrally-located station for park visitors. Winter recreation opportunities in the park began receiving attention in 1927 with the commencement of the first annual ski race from Fort Klamath to Crater Lake Lodge and return sponsored by the Fort Klamath Community Club on February 22. Thereafter the ski race and accompanying winter carnival became an annual event, generating considerable interest in winter sports in the park and increasing pressures to keep park roads to the rim open as long as possible during the winter to afford tourists the opportunity of viewing the “beautiful and inspiring spectacle” of the lake in its “winter garb.” [25]
The growth of park visitation was encouraged by the continuing development of improved visitor facilities in the rim area. In 1927 Park Service officials and representatives of the Crater Lake National Park Company and the Bureau of Public Roads developed a plan for rim area development. The plan provided that the concessionaire would construct and operate in the next year a cafeteria with a connecting general store for the sale of camping supplies and a group of rental cabins in the campground area away from the rim edge. Other improvements scheduled were an asphalt trail along the edge of the rim the full length of the village area; restoration of the soil between this promenade and the revetment to natural grasses and wildflowers; and construction of a wide parking area alongside a thirty-foot dustless road.
During 1928 the rim area was vastly improved. It was opened at the west boundary by the completion of a new road emerging at the rim edge. From there a new oiled drive led to the new cafeteria/general store and cabin group, campground, and lodge at the opposite end of a half-mile plaza. On each side of the boulevard an 18-foot parking strip was provided for several hundred automobiles. Along the edge of the rim a wide asphalt promenade was built for pedestrians and between this and the log parapet limited parking along the boulevard was an area of varying width graded for plant restoration. The group of fifteen housekeeping cabins was opened on July 15, and the new cafeteria/general store on July 20. A new Crater Wall trail was constructed from the west end of the Rim Campground to the lake “on high standards to permit the use of saddle animals, enabling many thousands to enjoy the lake who were heretofore denied that pleasure by physical incapacity.” The trail was opened on July 6 with Secretary of the Interior Ray L. Wilbur leading the first party ever to descend to the lake on horseback. That same year the company added a veranda on the lake side of the lodge, introduced a 35-passenger launch on the lake, and made saddle horses available for rental. [26]
