Paradise in Ashford in Pierce County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
An Ancient Community
Mount Ranier National Park
Some of the last extensive stands of old-growth forest left in the United States are the lowland forests of Mount Rainier. Old-growth lowland forests can be found in many areas of the park including Ohanapecosh, Longmire, and Carbon River.
Erected by Mount Ranier National Park, National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Natural Features.
Location. 46° 47.148′ N, 121° 44.172′ W. Marker is in Ashford, Washington, in Pierce County. It is in Paradise. Marker can be reached from Paradise-Longmire Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 52415 Paradise-Longmire Rd, Ashford WA 98304, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Paradise Inn (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Inspired to Preserve (approx. half a mile away); Changing Course (approx. 8.2 miles away); A Recovering Forest (approx. 8.2 miles away); Kautz Creek Nature Trail (approx. 8.2 miles away); Traveling Over the Cascades: Past and Present (approx. 11.3 miles away); The Palisades are Clues to the Past (approx. 11.3 miles away); Packwood (approx. 12.8 miles away).
Regarding An Ancient Community. An Icon on the Horizon
Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers. Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier’s lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park’s ecosystems. A lifetime of discovery awaits.
Established on March 2, 1899, Mount Rainier is America's fifth oldest national park. Much of what we associate with national parks today (rustic architecture, museums, auto touring, and park rangers) has roots at Mount Rainier. The naturalists at Mount Rainier were some of the first in the National Park Service. From 1923 through 1939, they published a series of Nature Notes for park visitors. Topics included plants, wildlife, road and trail conditions, park regulations, safety cautions, historical notes, along with inspirational poems, illustrations and anecdotes. At one time, over 600 copies of the notes were distributed in the park and mailed to other parks as well as to individual subscribers throughout the U.S. At least a dozen other national parks published their own editions of Nature Notes in the same era including: Acadia, Bryce/Zion, Crater Lake (visit Crater Lake's Web edition), Glacier, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Hot Springs, Lassen, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.
Frequency of publication at Mount Rainier ranged from bi-weekly to quarterly depending on season and staffing. Nature Notes were the responsibility of the park naturalist, assisted in summer by seasonal nature guides. Articles were also written by the Chief Ranger, Ranger-Naturalists and the Superintendent. Floyd W. Schmoe was Park Naturalist at the time Nature Notes were established. He supervised and developed the Nature Guide Department until he resigned in September 1928. C. Frank Brockman served as Park Naturalist from July 1929 to 1941. He later became a professor at the University of Washington and eventually published some of his Nature Notes in book form.
While we have learned much in the decades since the Nature Notes were first published, they remain an excellent source of information about the park's natural and cultural resources and are, in themselves, a cultural resource. This special web collection includes text and images as they were originally published (including typographical errors) in the Nature Notes. It is the result of the enthusiasm and efforts of National Park Service volunteer RD Payne. Additional historical information was contributed by volunteer Bob McIntyre, Jr.
There are several hundred editions of the notes in the park's collection, all of which have been converted to the Web for your reading pleasure.
Source: National Park Service
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 26, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 696 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on December 26, 2012, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A photo showing the entire marker. • Wide area view of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?