2. Car camping gained popularity in 1921
To avoid the expense of hotels many Americans chose to camp in 1921, making state and national parks popular tourist destinations. Tourists camped alone on the side of the road or in open fields when they could obtain permission of the landowner. In parks, they clustered in camping areas which became known as motorist camps. Near popular destinations, enterprising landowners opened sections of their land for the purpose. Campsites were rented and amenities such as firewood, food, and water made available for motorists. In some communities, town squares allowed visitors to camp overnight, and local merchants and restaurants catered to their guests.
The popularity and relative affordability of camping rendered outdoor areas popular. Yosemite became one of the most popular tourist sites west of the Mississippi. Visitors to the park teemed the grounds during the warm months. In 1921 the Evergreen Lodge opened about a mile from Yosemite, offering visitors private cabins, a main lodge for gatherings, and illicit liquor. In 1921 Ansel Adams, just beginning his storied career as a photographer, came to Yosemite to take the earliest of his many famed photographs in the park. Improved roads, some built to support the construction of the nearby O’Shaughnessy Dam, made Yosemite accessible, adding to its popularity as a tourist destination throughout the 1920s.