Rusk Ranch Nature Center, Cave Junction OR

This is a charming place to take a child. The fee is modest and goes to support butterfly populations by distributing native milkweed plants throughout the area. They also offer summer learning activities. This is a terrific local asset.

Very nice. Was given a Caterpillar when i purchased a butterfly weed. This is what became of it. Shared this experience with my 7 year old grandson and we loved it. She is now set free.

Awesome place very friendly staff and beautiful grounds alot of hands on learning for kids and adults gift shop picnic tables to bring lunch and relax in gardens beautiful butterflies frogs, bunnies, turtles just a nice relaxing visit next time im bringing lunch oh they also sell plants and gift shop had lots of very reasonable prices

NOT at all kid friendly (@least the staff wasn’t)!
I will never attempt to go here again.
After talking it up for two weeks to my grandchildren and niece & nephew, we got there and immediately realized the gal working did not like or know how to deal with young children.
Right off the bat before all of us were even in eyesight of her, she said, “I’m concerned, do they know how to stand still and not kill the butterflies or pick pick the flowers? ”
Why yes, yes they do. IF you spoke to them and told them the rules instead of assume because they are three that they are tyrants, then yes, by all means, they do have manners. Clearly you need lessons on that!

Very disappointed. The whole place looked like my grandmas backyard if it was overgrown and not taken care of for a couple years. It’s advertised as a “butterfly pavilion” but we saw ONE butterfly on the outside of the park. They should have let us know if there were even butterflies around this time of year before charging us. It seemed way over priced, 8 dollars a person to walk around someone’s backyard and not have any of the features they advertise. Would not recommend. Looks like they let the place go. Waste of time and waste of money.

A gem of a spot, especially for kids of all ages. We will definitely be coming back throughout the season to see what kinds of butterflies are in the pavilion (we saw painted ladies in late May) and how the tadpoles have grown in the Frog Den. The gardening throughout the center is quite lovely and focuses on native pollinator and butterfly-friendly flowers and plants. The nature playground is incredible and is more like an outdoor, hands-on children’s museum. Beautiful, thoughtful play and learn areas include a shaded sandbox, a water cycle play area, a puppet theater with its own handmade life-size wooden dragon prop and cloth puppets, upcycled materials musical instruments, fairy gardens, and a slide and tunnel play area. There was a scavenger hunt and wildlife tracking game for older kids. We could have spent hours there. Can’t wait to return and support this wonderful educational center!

The butterfly part of this place was really fun. The rest of the center was just ok. Not worth having to pay to get in.

We stopped by here on our way home to Crescent City. We enjoyed the grounds and the care that had been taken for Covid precautions.
We happily donated, and enjoyed our short trip with the Painted Ladies in the pavillion.
What a gem along the Highway.
Thank you.