Paradise Inn, National Park Service lodge in Pierce County, US
Paradise Inn is a wooden lodge in Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, built in the National Park Service rustic style at roughly 5,250 feet (1,600 m) above sea level. It has a large central lobby, a dining room, and guest rooms, all framed in heavy timber construction.
The lodge opened in 1917, built by the Rainier National Park Company to serve growing visitor demand on the mountain. A second wing was added in 1920, and the building was later designated a National Historic Landmark in 2005.
The interior of Paradise Inn was largely furnished by a German carpenter named Hans Fraehnke, who spent a winter on the mountain crafting tables, chairs, and chandeliers by hand. Many of those original pieces are still in use today, visible to anyone walking through the lobby or dining room.
Paradise Inn is open only from late May through September, as the site sits under heavy snow for much of the year. Even in summer, temperatures at this elevation can drop quickly, so warm layers are worth bringing regardless of the forecast.
The timber used to build the lodge came from dead Alaska yellow cedar trees that had been standing for decades after a nearby forest fire, which made the wood unusually hard and resistant. This natural curing process gave the structure a durability that green-cut lumber would not have provided.
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