Situated in northeast Whitefish Township, in the northwest section of Chippewa County, Paradise, Michigan is on the western shores of Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior, north of the mouth of the Tahquamenon River, in the northeast Upper Peninsula.
Surrounded by state and national forests, Paradise is one of two gateways to Tahquamenon Falls State Park and the Tahquamenon Falls area. Its economy is based largely on tourism, attracting backpackers, campers, birdwatchers, snowmobilers, fishermen, and hunters. Blueberries and cranberries are harvested nearby, and Paradise hosts an annual blueberry festival each summer.
Paradise is also the gateway to Whitefish Point, eleven miles to the north. Whitefish Point, a cape of the UP, is known for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, the Whitefish Point Lighthouse, the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve, and the White Fish Point Bird Observatory. It is one of the most dangerous shipping areas in the Great Lakes.
The author, Steve Hamilton, set his Alex McKnight series of crime fiction in Paradise, and his books include several of the natural landmarks of Paradise.
By road, Paradise is accessed by M-123, which runs north along the shoreline from Emerson, then turns west at Paradise. Whitefish Point Road continues north along the shore.
The nearest incorporated municipality is the village of Newberry, thirty-seven miles to the southwest. The only other cities or villages within seventy miles of Paradise are Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, Mackinac Island, and Mackinaw City. The unincorporated community of Shelldrake is three and a half miles to the north, and Emerson is less than five miles to the south.
Paradise was founded by Ed LeDuc in 1925, and named by Leon McGregor, a Bay City resort promotor, for the beautiful landscape and shoreline, as well as the abundance of fish and game. A post office was established on May 1, 1947, with Roy M. Monk as postmaster.
The focus of this portion of our guide is on the locality known as Paradise, Michigan. Online resources for local businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, and recreational opportunities, are appropriate for this category.
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Maintained by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, a group of divers and teachers in 1978, the non-profit organization promoted the exploration of historic shipwrecks in the eastern Lake Superior, near Whitefish Point, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The museum is situated on Whitefish Point, near Paradise, Michigan, while the Society is headquartered at the Weather Bureau Building in Sault Ste. Marie, which itself serves as a museum. Its exhibits and research projects are outlined.
https://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/
Specializing in homemade, Upper Peninsula comfort food, including in-house smoked meats, homemade desserts, pickled vegetables, and even homemade ketchup, the Paradise, Michigan restaurant also carries a brand merchandise line, as well as homemade canned goods. Directions, a map, telephone number, hours of operation, and an email address are posted on the site, along with its menu items, and a gallery of photographs showing interior and exterior shots of the facilities.
https://www.theinngetsome.com/
Paradise Area Night Riders is a snowmobile club and trail grooming operation grooming a hundred and twenty miles of snowmobile trails in the Paradise area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. An introduction to the organization is provided, along with its location, mailing address, and a trail map, as well as trail reports, road conditions, weather predictions, photographs, and an online contact form. The club's groomer drivers are listed, along with links to the websites of supporting businesses.
http://www.paradiseareanightriders.org/
Paradise: Wild Blueberry Capital of Michigan
Maintained by the Paradise Area Chamber of Commerce, the site acknowledges Chamber meeting schedules and officers, and provides contact information for the organization. A profile of the Paradise, Michigan area is provided, including examples of what the region has to offer visitors in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. Local campgrounds and lodging facilities are highlighted, along with things to do and places to go. Also included is a calendar of community events and a business directory.
http://www.paradisemichigan.org/
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory
Located adjacent to the Whitefish Point Unit of the Seen National Wildlife Refuge, the non-profit, affiliate education and research facility of the Michigan Audubon Society documents the bird population of the Great Lakes region through bird banding, data collection, and research. The history of the facility is posted, along with an overview of its projects, a calendar of events, an online and on-site shopping area, and blogs reporting field notes, migration counts, and owl banding.
https://wpbo.org/
Situated south of the village of Paradise, the township school district provides a PK-12th-grade public school curriculum on one campus, which includes pre-kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school programs. School board members, agendas, and minutes are posted, along with administrative contacts and office hours, a staff directory, school calendar, staff resources, news and information about its activities and projects, and an overview of its athletics programs.
https://whitefish.eupschools.org/
Held each August in Paradise, Michigan, the annual multi-day blueberry festival combines a variety of food venues, artisans, entertainment, and other activities and events. Photos from previous events are displayed, and contacts are provided. Other resources include a map of the arts and crafts fair layout, highlights of confirmed entertainment events, schedules, vendor expectations, requirements, information, and an application form that can be printed and returned.
http://www.wildblueberryfestival.org/
