Historic Paradise Camp Lodge Exhibit Panel

Stand in the footprint of the historic Paradise Camp Lodge.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Paradise

Amenities

5 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Title: Historic Paradise Camp Lodge

Main Text
Remnants of the historic Paradise Camp Lodge building lie buried beneath this site. Built in 1918, the lodge mirrored the Paradise Inn's rustic design, with a steeply pitched roof for shedding snow and shingle siding with log facade. It overlooked the Paradise Valley and the Tatoosh Range and provided a commanding view of Mount Rainier. 

Services offered here were an economical alternative to meals and accommodations at the nearby Paradise Inn. The lodge was demolished in the mid-1950's to make way for additional parking. 

In 2006, prior to construction of the visitor center, archeologists explored this site for remains of the lodge. Along with sections of the original building's foundation they found flooring and structural basement components, plus articles left behind by early visitors and employees including ski pole baskets, glass, dinnerware, a partially full whiskey bottle, and other personal items. 

Secondary Text
Marking History: Four pieces of the original foundation mark the corners of the lodge in the landscaping before you. On either side of you, in the plaza surface, rock continues the outline with the remaining outline buried beneath the visitor center behind you. 

Exhibit Panel Description
The whole exhibit panel is filled with a single historic, sepia-tinted photo of the Paradise Camp Lodge. On the right side of the photo is a three story, "L"-shaped wood building with a steeply-pitched shingle roof. Numerous old-fashioned cars are parked in rows in front of the building, with platform tents set up to the left side of the building. The Tatoosh Range, a ridge of rocky mountain peaks, rises above the area in the background of the photo. Overlaying the background photo, the main text stretches across the top third of the panel on the left side, with the secondary text on the right side. Just below the secondary text is a small diagram map showing the rectangular outline of the current Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center. An outline of the Paradise Camp Lodge footprint overlaps the visitor center footprint on the left side at a diagonal. The four corners of the lodge footprint not obscured by the visitor center are marked by red dots. Below the diagram, text reads: "Diagram of the footprint of the new visitor center overlying the footprint of the former Paradise Camp Lodge Building." On the left side of the panel under the main text, a second small photo shows three people excavating a trench in a construction area. Text under the photo reads: "Archeology crews work to expose the southwest corner of the historic building's foundation. This corner lies behind you, now under the visitor center."

Visit This Exhibit Panel
The Historic Paradise Camp Lodge Exhibit Panel is located on a low rock wall framing an island of landscaping on the south side of the Jackson Visitor Center. The panel looks southeast over the Paradise Road towards the Tatoosh Range. The Paradise Road is open year-round, but closes nightly during the winter.