Paradise, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paradise
Unincorporated community
Hikers and wildflowers along the Paradise River near its source
Paradise Location in the United States Show map of the United States Paradise Location in Washington (state) Show map of Washington (state)
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Pierce
Elevation	5,400 ft (1,600 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)

Paradise is a beautiful area located on the south side of Mount Rainier. It sits high up, about 5,400 feet (1,600 m) (or 1,646 meters) above sea level. This special spot is found within Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, United States.

Paradise is near the border of Pierce and Lewis counties. It includes the lovely Paradise Valley and the Paradise Glacier. The glacier is actually where the Paradise River begins! A woman named Virinda Longmire gave the area its name in 1885. She thought it was like paradise because of all the amazing wildflowers in the alpine meadows. From Paradise, you can also see stunning views of Mount Rainier and the Tatoosh Range.

Visiting Paradise: A Popular Spot

Paradise is the most popular place for people to visit in Mount Rainier National Park. In fact, in 2000, over 60% of all park visitors came to Paradise! It's easy to get there because the road from the Nisqually entrance (State Route 706) is open even in winter. The very first road to Paradise was finished in 1911.

Early Paths to Paradise

In the late 1800s, many visitors wanted to see Mount Rainier up close. James Longmire's son, Elcaine, made a simple path to Paradise Park around 1885. Later, in the 1890s, Elcaine's son Leonard and a worker named Henry Carter built a better path. This new path followed the Paradise River. For a while, the Longmire family charged visitors a small fee to use this improved route.

Historic Buildings in Paradise

Paradise is home to several important historic buildings. The famous Paradise Inn was built in 1916. There's also the Paradise Guide House from 1920 and the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center. The original visitor center was built in 1966, but it was replaced in 2008. The old inn is so special that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The whole historic area of Paradise is known as the Paradise Historic District.

Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center

Fun and Training in the Past

In 1931, a golf course was built in Paradise. Five years later, a rope tow was added for alpine skiing. These were built for guests staying at the Paradise Inn. During World War II, from 1942 to 1943, the U.S. Army used the inn. Soldiers from the 87th Mountain Infantry trained there for winter mountain conditions.

Modern Updates for Paradise

The National Park Service spent about $30 million to fix up the Paradise Inn. This project made the inn strong enough to handle a big earthquake. They also replaced the old "flying saucer-shaped" Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center. The new visitor center looks more like the historic inn. Both the inn and the new visitor center opened again in 2008. The old visitor center was taken down in 2009.

Panorama of Paradise from Skyline Trail. The visitor center, inn, and parking lot are visible. Mount Adams is visible in the distance.

Climate: The Snowiest Place

The National Park Service says that Paradise is "the snowiest place on Earth where snowfall is measured regularly." That's a lot of snow! In the winter of 1971–1972, a world record was set when 1,122 inches; 93.5 ft; 28.5 m of snow fell.

The least amount of snow in one winter was 266 inches (about 22 feet) in 2014–15. The deepest snow on the ground was 367 inches; 30.6 ft; 9.3 m (over 30 feet) in March 1956. No snow measurements were taken from 1943 to 1946 because the road to Paradise was closed during World War II. Even with all this snow, the average high temperatures in Paradise never drop below freezing. Paradise has a cool, wet climate, often called a subarctic or subalpine climate.

See also

In Spanish: Paradise (Washington) para niños