Paradise Day Use Area (Paradise Camp)- Willamette National Forest OR

City:: Willamette National Forest, OR
Site Type:: Parks and Recreation, Amphitheaters and Bandshells, Picnic and Other Facilities
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, US Forest Service (USFS), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Started:: 1937
Completed:: 1937
Designer:: William Parke
Quality of Information:: Good
Marked:: No
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

Paradise Day Use Area is just a mile and a half from the McKenzie Ranger Station on the south bank of the McKenzie River. This picnic area was laid-out and improved by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees from CCC Camp Belknap in 1937. When constructed it included both the current day use area and the adjacent Paradise Campground. At the time, “Paradise Camp” was meant to serve as many as five-hundred campers.

In addition to the picnic areas with stone fireplaces/stoves, an amphitheater is located in the day use area. The log benches with back rests, laid out in two columns of four rows, provide seating for educational programs.

Source notes

"Camp Belknap," CCC-Vancouver Barracks Report - 1937. pp. 114-117 & 146.

"Paradise Day Use Area," Willamette National Forest. US Forest Service Website (Viewed August 13, 2022): https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/willamette/recarea/?recid=4381

Rakestraw, Lawrence & Mary (1991) History of the Willamette National Forest. USDA - Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region. p. 111.

Silvermoon, Jon (1984) Cultural Resource Inventory, Site Evaluation, and Mitigation Report for the McKenzie Ranger Site Development Project and Belknap Civilian Conservation Corps Camp. District Archaeologist Report, Willamette National Forest, McKenzie Ranger District. July 18, 1984.

Site originally submitted by Jim Reed on September 10, 2022.
Additional contributions by Judith T Kenny & Tom Hubka.