Did you know there was a golf course at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park?

The following is an adaptation from Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

"Oh, what a paradise!"

That was Martha Longmire’s reaction upon seeing the lush meadows, spectacular wildflower displays and sublime scenery of Mount Rainier’s southern valley for the very first time in 1885. The name would stick. Today, the most popular area in Mount Rainier National Park is known as “Paradise,” and once you set your own eyes upon it you’ll understand why. In fact, I would rank the Skyline Loop as one of the best hikes I’ve ever taken.

Now, imagine a sprawling golf course marring this beautiful setting – or even worse, a motorcycle rally!

Paradise Park is widely recognized as one of the snowiest places on Earth. On average, the meadow receives roughly 640 inches of snow each year. During the winter of 1971-1972, it received a whopping 1122 inches (93.5 feet) of snow, which set a world record at that time. As a result of the extreme amount of snow that falls each year, the snow-free season at Paradise is quite short, lasting only three months or so. Because of the short tourist season, Mt. Rainier officials experimented with some highly unconventional tactics to attract visitors, thus hoping to raise more revenue for the park. This included opening a nine-hole golf course at Paradise in 1931. Horace M. Albright, the National Park Service Director at that time, rationalized the decision by stating,

Golf is a country game not a city one. It can be justified in parks easier than tennis. Anyway, I want to try out the thing and as the Rainier Company needs revenue more than any other Company I am disposed to let them try the experiment.

Fortunately, after the snow started falling in October of that year, the course was permanently closed. Perhaps the most egregious stunt ever employed by the National Park Service was the staging of a motorcycle hill climb at Paradise in 1922. The event was attended by more than 300 motorcyclists, but “came to a swift end when scars on the hillside became all too noticeable.”

This book on hiking history is now available on Amazon Kindle.