WikiMini

Narada Falls Bridge

Narada Falls Bridge
Narada Falls Bridge, 2015
Coordinates46°46′31″N 121°44′43″W / 46.77528°N 121.74528°W / 46.77528; -121.74528
CarriesParadise Road
CrossesNarada Falls
LocaleParadise, Washington
Preceded byNarada Falls Bridge, built 1908, destroyed 1916
Characteristics
DesignDeck arch
Total length36 feet (11 m)
Width20 feet (6.1 m)
History
Constructed byJ. D. Tobin
Construction start1927 (1927)
Construction end1928
Narada Falls Bridge
Alternate view, 2007
Narada Falls Bridge is located in Washington (state)
Narada Falls Bridge
Nearest cityParadise, Washington
Arealess than one acre
ArchitectE.A. Davidson
Architectural styleNational Park Service rustic
WebsiteNational Park Service - Historic Narada Falls Area
MPSMt. Rainier National Park MPS
NRHP reference No.91000197[1][a]
Added to NRHPMarch 13, 1991
Location
Map

The Narada Falls Bridge is an arch bridge in Mount Rainier National Park, spanning Paradise River above Narada Falls. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on March 13, 1991. It is part of the Mount Rainier National Historic Landmark District, which both encompasses the entire park and recognizes Mt. Rainier's inventory of National Park Service rustic architecture.

The 36 foot (11 m) long reinforced concrete span was built beginning in 1927, replacing an earlier crossing that was destroyed by 1916. Constructed in conjunction with the NRHP-listed Christine Falls Bridge, it was known as the "First Crossing of the Paradise River". The flat-deck overpass features stone rubble masonry meant to blend in with the surrounding landscape. Pedestrians are able to cross the bridge on foot, accessing a viewpoint of the falls and other trailheads, as well as access to the Narada Falls Comfort Station, an NRHP-listed public restroom.

History

[edit]

During a trip to Mt. Rainier in 1893, the moniker of Narada Falls was designated by the Narada Branch of the Theosophical Society of Western Washington.[2] Narada comes from the Hindu word meaning "pure" or "uncontaminated".[3] The word is also a Chinook term translated as "peace".[4]

An early road leading to the waterfall was begun in late-August 1904, but plans for a bridge were not determined at the time.[5] The first Narada Falls bridge was constructed in 1908. During the winter of 1915-1916, the original overpass was destroyed due to heavy snowfall and melt.[6] Until a replacement span was built, visitors to the area traversed a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) trail on foot and horseback to access Paradise from Narada Falls.[7]

The existing Narada Falls Bridge was built between 1927 and 1928.[2][8] The new structure was known as the "First Crossing of the Paradise River". The span was constructed in conjunction with Christine Falls Bridge and was part of an effort in the 1920s to improve Paradise Road which led between Longmire and Paradise.[8]

The contractor was J.D. Tobin out of Portland, Oregon;[b] Tobin was the lowest bidder for the contract and work began in August 1927. Detour bridges were built during the project but despite quick work, including the pouring of concrete by October, difficulties in obtaining quality, local stones for veneer masonry waylaid the project. By November, the efforts were considered to be "98% complete". The Branch of Plans and Designs, Western Division of the National Park Service, suggested the stone masonry. Landscape architect E.A. Davidson supervised the stonework. Road improvements were managed under the Bureau of Public Roads.[8]

Geography

[edit]

The bridge is part of Nisqaully-Paradise Road located within the Mount Rainier Historic Landmark District. The structure spans over Paradise River and the Narada Falls to a utility area, which is home to another NRHP-listed site, the Narada Falls Comfort Station.[8][2] Per the NRHP form, the bridge is known as the "first crossing" of the river and described as part of a "utility road".[9][8] The water feature, at 150 feet (45.7 m) in height, is the tallest such waterfall accessible by automobile in the park.[2] Visitors to the site walk over the bridge to a viewpoint of the waterfall.[8]

Architecture and features

[edit]

The Narada Falls Bridge is considered by the National Register of Historic Places form to be constructed in National Park Service rustic-style and is of use for pedestrians and vehicles, though closed for public automobiles. The single span structure is 36 feet (11.0 m) in length with a top deck width of 20 feet (6.1 m). The flat, two-lane passage features bordering sidewalks 3.5 feet (1.1 m) wide. The arch bridge was constructed of reinforced concrete and features parapet walls; the face of the bridge is sheathed in stone rubble masonry.[8]

The bridge was built larger than necessary, constructed in a fashion to provide a "sense of bulk and strength" in comparison to the surrounding natural environment.[10] By 1991, the bridge was rated to hold up to 30 tons.[8]

The Narada Falls Bridge, along with Christine Falls Bridge, was one of the first spans in Mt. Rainier National Park to follow the curve of the existing road, to contain guardrails, and have architectural features such as buttresses, spandrels, and an arch. The style, specifically the masonry, was intended to blend in with the natural environment, free of decorative designs or elements.[11] The rocks, as well as the mortar pattern, followed an engineered specificity that was standard in other such bridges being built in the park at the time.[10] The landscape architect was Ernest Davidson; he had "unsatisfactory" stone work removed and redone if the appearance did not follow his guidelines for a "unified naturalistic appearance".[11]

  • Original bridge, c. 1913
    Original bridge, c. 1913
  • Bridge and falls, 1992
    Bridge and falls, 1992
  • View across deck, 1992
    View across deck, 1992

Recreation

[edit]

A 0.1-mile (0.16 km) trail leads to the waterfall viewpoint; the Wonderland Trail is accessed 0.2-mile (0.32 km) further on the path.[12] Skiers and snowshoe hikers can access slopes at Tatoosh Range, including Reflection Lakes Basin, near the Narada Falls Comfort Station by crossing over the bridge from the nearby parking lot.[13][14]

Significance

[edit]

The Narada Falls Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 1991. The NRHP nomination noted the arched span to be "an excellent example of the attempt to achieve a rustic appearance" and representative of an overall thematic style of bridges within Mt. Rainier National Park.[8]

The bridge was also listed with the Washington State Heritage Register.[15]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ As of 2025, the Narada Falls Bridge NRHP file has not been digitized. Please review the catalogued inventory form.
  2. ^ Christine Falls Bridge was also constructed by Tobin. See that article for more information.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d "Historic Narada Falls Area". National Park Service. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  3. ^ "Narada Falls, Lewis County, Washington". Northwest Waterfall Survey. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  4. ^ "Niarada - - - Peace". The Camas Hot Springs Exchange. February 23, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  5. ^ "Rainier Reserve Road". Aberdeen Herald. September 5, 1904. p. 2. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  6. ^ "A Good Auto Trip". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. July 28, 1916. p. 1. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  7. ^ "Paradise Road Opens July 5". The Seattle Star. June 25, 1923. p. 5. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Washington MPS Narada Falls Bridge". National Archives and Records Administration. National Park Service. 1991. Retrieved August 4, 2025. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Narada Falls Bridge
  10. ^ a b "National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory - Road to Paradise Mount Rainier National Park, 2004" (PDF). National Park Service. 2024. p. 41. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Flint McClelland, Linda (1993). "IV. The Work Of The Western Field Office, 1927 to 1932 - Design of Bridges". Presenting Nature: The Historic Landscape Design of The National Park Service, 1916 to 1942. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places - Interagency Resources Division. p. 129. ISBN 0160451361 – via HathiTrust.
  12. ^ Sandsberry, Scott (July 17, 2003). "Falling for the Views". Yakima Herald-Republic. p. C1. NewsBank 0FCCA1BA0AEE7736. Retrieved August 5, 2025 – via NewsBank.
  13. ^ Kidd, Sue (January 14, 2000). "Skiing! - Where to go, what to expect". King County Journal. NewsBank 1003FA19D7639189. Retrieved August 5, 2025 – via NewsBank.
  14. ^ Hill, Craig (January 15, 2016). "Trail of the Week - Narada Falls to Reflection Lake Snowshoe hike". The News Tribune. p. 9G. NewsBank 15A66ED651A08320. Retrieved August 5, 2025 – via NewsBank.
  15. ^ "Property ID: 28453 Narada Falls Bridge - Mount Rainier National Park". Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data. Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
[edit]

Media related to Narada Falls Bridge at Wikimedia Commons