Paradise Falls

Located in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park. Because of the often-crowded nature of the Paradise parking lots, this waterfall is best accessed as follows. Once in Mount Rainier National Park, follow Highway 706 to the Paradise Road, and drive to the large parking area at the Paradise Lodge. Do not park here, but instead begin following the one-way Paradise Valley Road, which leaves Paradise. At the bottom of the first hill, you'll cross the Paradise River, and immediately after is a large parking area on the right. Park here. Follow the 4th Crossing Trail, across the street from the parking area, uphill for 1/3 of a mile, to the Skyline Trail. Turn right, and proceed another 8/10 of a mile to the Paradise Glacier Trail. Stay on the Skyline trail for another couple hundred feet to the footbridges over the Paradise River. The falls are easily seen for several hundred feet of trail.This is the uppermost waterfall along the Paradise River. There are actually two falls, separated by a large moraine "island", about 300 feet apart, along separate streams, which drop over the same formation. Paradise Falls has usually been considered just the western of the two, but I see no reason not to include the other one as well. Both falls drop about 30 feet over a bedrock protrusion in otherwise barren gravel beds, left by the quickly retreating Paradise Glacier. Unfortunately, trails don't get close to the falls, so you might have to settle for a distant view from the footbridges across the river, about 500 feet downstream. Traveling to the base of the falls would be a piece of cake, if it were allowed (due to the excessive meadow trampling in the Paradise Area, off trail travel is not allowed). I have seen a couple maps which show a trail passing near the falls, in which case, the rating would go up, but otherwise, this waterfall is likely only of interest to waterfall enthusiasts.