Paradise, Arizona

Paradise is a small ghost town located in Cochise County in the U.S. state of Arizona. The town was settled in 1901 in what was then the Arizona Territory. Paradise is also the setting for the first two Postal games.

History

In 1901 the Chiricahua Development Company located a vein of ore here. A post office was established on October 23, 1901, and at its peak, the town had saloons, general stores, a jail and a hotel. The town was essentially abandoned when the local mines failed, and the post office closed on September 30, 1943. However, a few residents remained. In June 2011, there were five permanent residents and 29 standing structures when the Horseshoe 2 Fire swept through the area. A few homes and cemetery remain.

Geography

Paradise is located 5.7 miles west from Portal, Arizona, and is surrounded by Coronado National Forest land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Paradise has a hot-summer mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Paradise was on July 8, 1912, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 3, 2011.