Paradise Ski-Tow Powerhouse

This small wooden A-frame near the Guide House once housed the motor and drum for a ski tow running toward Alta Vista. It’s an exterior history stop, not a museum visit: the building’s interior is closed. I’d pause here if you’re interested in how Paradise used to work in winter; skip it if you’re looking for an operating lift or a walk-through exhibit.

The powerhouse was built in 1937 by the Rainier National Park Company. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the first tow rope that year, and it was installed in 1938 to carry skiers toward the top of Alta Vista. The machinery is gone, but the small A-frame is still there near the old resort center.

Paradise hosted ski races and Olympic tryouts in the 1930s. After World War II, returning soldiers with wartime ski training helped fuel a much wider interest in downhill skiing, and people wanted more lifts and jumps. Park managers required seasonal ski equipment to come down before summer, keeping towers and cables out of the meadow landscape.

As Crystal Mountain and White Pass developed outside the park, downhill skiing at Paradise gave way to cross-country and backcountry skiing. The powerhouse is a small surviving piece of that earlier era, and one of the structures that contributes to the Paradise Historic District. From the path, include the steep roof and front stairs in a photo; the surrounding trees help show the compact building in its Paradise setting.