Hidden beneath hundreds of inches of snow each winter, there’s a historic lodge sitting high on the slopes of Mount Rainier National Park that almost didn’t survive.

In this episode of Parkography, we’re exploring the incredible story of the Paradise Inn—a lodge built in 1917 that helped shape what America’s national parks would become. From its origins as a luxury resort in the wilderness to its near-demolition in the mid-20th century, Paradise Inn stands as a symbol of how our relationship with national parks has evolved over time.

Written by Lizzie Tesch

#MountRainier #NationalParks #USHistory

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In this episode: the BLM’s plan to ban dispersed camping on nearly 14,000 acres near Zion National Park—shifting use to designated areas and two proposed campgrounds, a resolution that could overturn a 20-year ban on copper-nickel mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters watershed, a Texas man sentenced to five days in jail for stepping off boardwalks onto Yellowstone’s thermal features, a settlement to keep the pride flag flying at Stonewall National Monument, tightened South Rim water restrictions at Grand Canyon due to pipeline breaks, Big Bend’s Chisos Basin closure being put on hold, and Yosemite’s historic Ahwahnee dining room moving to a required prix-fixe menu starting at $95.

00:00 Public Lands News Roundup 00:29 Zion Dispersed Camping Ban 02:37 Boundary Waters Mining Fight 04:29 Yellowstone Boardwalk Jail 05:34 Stonewall Pride Flag Returns 07:08 Grand Canyon Water Restrictions 08:14 Big Bend Closure Delayed 09:04 Yosemite Dining Goes Prix Fixe 10:52 Wrap Up and Subscribe

This week in national park and public lands news: A major US Forest Service overhaul, including relocating its headquarters from Washington, DC to Salt Lake City by 2027; a bill to redesignate Chiricahua National Monument as a national park passed the House and heads to the Senate; National Park Week in 2026 will move to August; a lawsuit challenges firearm bans inside NPS buildings; Grand Canyon’s South Rim enters Stage 3 water restrictions after a Trans-Canyon Waterline break, and more.

00:00 Intro 00:38 Forest Service Overhaul 02:32 New Arizona Park Push 03:39 Mammoth Cave Expansion 04:05 National Park Week Moves 05:14 Firearms Rules Lawsuit 06:29 Grand Canyon Water Crisis 08:23 Idaho Wildlife Charges 09:22 Millions of Bees Spill 10:35 Wrap Up and Goodbye