rk is small, only 20 m. long and never more than 2 m.
broad; it is in fact the valley of Thompson Creek. Its surface is one of
charming slopes, and by many it is accounted among the loveliest of
Colorado valleys. Seven ranges lie between it and the plains. South Park
is similarly quiet and charming in character. Much greater than any of
these is San Luis Park. The surface is nearly as flat as a lake, and it
was probably at one time the bed of an inland sea. In the centre there
is a long narrow lake fed by many streams. It has no visible outlet, but
is fresh. The San Luis Park, which runs into New Mexico, is traversed by
the Rio Grande del Norte and more than a dozen of its mountain
tributaries. These parks are frequented by great quantities of large
game, and--especially the North and Middle--are famous hunting-grounds.
They are fertile, too, and as their combined area is something like
13,000 sq. m. they are certain to be of great importance in Colorado's
agricultural development.

The drainage system of the state is naturally very complicated. Eleven
topographical and climatic divisions are recognized by the United States
Weather Bureau within its borders, including the several parks, the
continental divide, and various river valleys. Of the rivers, the North
Platte has its sources in North Park, the Colorado (the Gunnison and
Grand branches) in Middle Park, the Arkansas and South Platte in South
Park--where their waters drain in opposite directions from Palmer's
Lake--the Rio Grande in San Luis Park. Three of these flow east and
south-east to the Missouri, Mississippi and the Gulf; but the waters of
the Colorado system flow to the south-west into the Gulf of California.
Among the other streams, almost countless in number among the mountains,
the systems of the Dolores, White and Yampa, all in the west, are of
primary importance. The scenery on the head-waters of the White and
Bear, the upper tributaries of the Gunnison, and on many of the minor
rivers of the south-west is wonderfully beautiful. The South Platte
falls 4830 ft. in the 139 m. above Denver; the Grand 3600 ft. in the 224
m. between the mouth of the Gunnison and the Forks; the Gunnison 6477
ft. in 200 m. to its mouth (and save for 16 m. never with a gradient of
less than 10 ft.); the Arkansas 7000 ft. in its 338 m. west of the
Kansas line. Of the smaller streams the Uncompahgre falls 2700 ft. in
134 m., the Las Animas 7190 ft. in 113 m., the Los Pinos 4920