Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Whether you hike in, raft down the river or show up on jet boat, Paradise Lodge is always a welcome sight.



Perched above the rolling Rogue River, deep within the Wild Rogue Wilderness, the historic lodge can be accessed only by dirt trail or water, making it a remote and beautiful getaway in the thick of one of Oregon's most scenic natural areas.



The isolation is a stark departure from our modern, connected world – there's no cell service or internet at the lodge – but that's all part of the appeal.



"I think it's the remoteness, you know? We're out in the middle of nowhere," manager William Benavente said about why people come to Paradise. "It forces people to talk again."



With cozy shared areas and family-style dinners, the lodge encourages guests to interact with each other. But surrounded by miles upon miles of wilderness, it's also an easy place to get away on your own.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Guests sit on the Paradise Lodge deck, overlooking the Rogue River.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Rogue River Trail gives access to beautiful scenes along the wild and scenic Rogue River, a short walk from Paradise Lodge.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Rogue River flows past the Paradise Lodge, seen from the deck.

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Paradise offers no shortage of activities. There's a disc golf course, volleyball net, board games and books on lodge grounds, as well as fishing in the river and hiking on the 40-mile Rogue River Trail, which runs through the back yard. It's welcome news for the active among us, but there's also something to be said about taking it easy.



"People are always asking us what they can do when they get here," Benavente said. "We say, 'relax.' "



The 85-acre property was first homesteaded around 1903 and began operating as a lodge in the 1950s. Today the lodge, can accommodate about 50 guests, with guest rooms in several buildings. They charge $175 or $165 per person (rafters get a break), which includes all the meals during your stay.



The lodge is continually updated, piece by piece, over time, Benavente said. Over the last two years, owners have replaced all the dining room tables and re-paneled some of the walls. On our last visit this spring, they were working on changing out all the guest room lamps. The rooms and bathrooms are modern, but they retain that rustic lodge aesthetic, giving the whole place a timeless feeling.



Over the years, Paradise Lodge has hosted a steady stream of customers. Most guests are rafters, Benavente said, with the rest riding a jet boat in, courtesy of Jerry's Rogue Jets, or hiking in along the Rogue River Trail. There have also been some well-known names.



Faded photos line the wood-paneled walls of the dining room, showing many of the notable guests over the years. There's Laura Bush, who stayed at the lodge on a rafting trip down the Rogue River in 2009, the same year Elijah Wood stopped by. On one wall there's a big movie poster from "The River Wild," which starred Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly. When the cast and crew filmed on the river in 1993, they bunked up at Paradise.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A communal area in the main lodge building has a fireplace, recliners, board games and books.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Inside a guest room at the Paradise Lodge.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The dining room at Paradise Lodge has views of the Rogue River and forested canyon walls.

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The Paradise Lodge is one of several lodges on this stretch of the Rogue River. The Black Bar Lodge, Clay Hill Lodge, Half Moon Bar Lodge and Marial Lodge are all found in the wilderness area nearby (making up a nice lodge-to-lodge hiking tour), with several others farther up- and downriver.



Benavente said that while there's definitely some competition among all the lodges, there's also a strong feeling of community among those living and operating on the wild and scenic Rogue.



In recent years, that community has been united by the growing and persistent threat of wildfire. Though the Wild Rogue Wilderness has been spared, fires have burned in nearby forests, pouring smoke into the canyon.



In 2013, when the Big Windy Complex fire burned for weeks in July, August and September, the Paradise Lodge lost a full season of business, closing for almost 40 days during what's typically the busiest time of year.



"I don't think we've ever recovered from that," Benavente said.



But despite the threat of fire and smoke, crowds continue to show up at Paradise, drawn by the beautiful natural setting and alluring sense of remoteness. Staying at the lodge forces you to disconnect from the world and reconnect with nature and the people around you.



In other words, it's a getaway where you really can get away.



Paradise Lodge is open May 1 through November 5; rooms are $165 per person for rafters, $175 for jet boaters and hikers; make reservations online at paradise-lodge.com or call 541-842-2822.



SEE MORE PHOTOS BELOW



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Guests sit at picnic tables outside the Paradise Lodge, which is only accessible by trail or river.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Mist hangs over the hills behind Paradise Lodge, leading to the Rogue River Trail that runs through the back yard.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Family-style dinner is served at Paradise Lodge.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A photo of Laura Bush hangs on the wall of Paradise Lodge, commemorating her 2009 visit.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Garden House is one of several lodge buildings at the Paradise Lodge.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A sign on the Rogue River Trail leads hikers to the Paradise Lodge.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Guest rooms are found in several buildings around the 85-acre Paradise Lodge property.