In 1903, Charlie Pettinger homesteaded an 85 acre parcel on the banks of a long, calm stretch of the Rogue River known as Paradise Bar. Here he raised a family of eight children. The location was so remote that very few outsiders ever visited, with the exception of Hathaway Jones, who delivered the mail from Grants Pass to the Coast along what later became known as the Rogue River Trail. As late as 1963, mail was still delivered from Marial to Agness by boat or pack mule, as no roads were ever cut into this pristine wilderness. 

In 1959, the main lodge was constructed by Deak and Louise Miller. In the early seventies, when Mr. Miller's health began to fail, he offered the Lodge to Curry County Sheriff Allen Boice. 

In the early eighties Mr. Boice then sold the Lodge to his son, Court Boice. The Boice family is the third owner of the Paradise Wilderness Lodge parcel since the original homesteaders. 

The Boices were born and raised on the Rogue River and have a deep interest in the history and preservation of the area. You will find the Lodge, rooms, and Rogue River Museum are filled with artifacts, antiques, and other historical memorabilia that the Boices have collected over the years. We've listed a few of the historical highlights on this website, but there is much more to see and learn with a visit to Paradise and our museum. 

In 1968, Congress passed the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that recognizes eight rivers in the United States, including the Rogue, as unique national treasures. Paradise Wilderness Lodge is located in the heart of this protected area, and the natural state of this wilderness is much the same as when Charlie Pettinger first homesteaded the magnificent parcel.

The lodge has been owned by the Schleining family since 2005.