Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum, Cave Junction OR

We organized a group of seven friends to take the tour. Gary, our guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the facility. It was interesting to learn how important and effective the Siskiyou Smoke Jumper facility was in stoping HUNDREDS of fires before they became out of control conflagrations. The museum is very hands-on. You will walk through the parachute sewing and packing rooms, see the suits worn by the jumpers and see equipment they used. Gary explained the process of selecting a landing site and how the crew would judge the wind and other conditions before jumping from the plane. You will get an understanding of the extreme and dangerous conditions the jumpers worked in. Often times the jumpers would work in pairs and after jumping onto a fire site and working for hours to extinguish it, the jumpers had to pack it all out by foot, the terrain was too rugged for vehicles. They would gather all the equipment, roll up their parachutes and any other items that were dropped to them and load all this onto backpacks often weighing 150 pounds. The hike out usually involved an overnight in the woods and often took several days. The pilots would fly over the hikers to check on their safety and drop food to them if necessary.
Very good experience, very informative. I highly recommend visiting the Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum at the airport (3S4) just south of Cave Junction.

I was on a random road trip, saw the sign, hell yeah, Im stopping! I am now retired from a 30 year career in the fire service and saw my fair share of wildland fires over the years. This place is rich in history and tradition of the smoke jumpers. Cool to see even if you were never a firefighter.

An amazing experience, one you should not miss! The courage and bravery of these remarkable people are only surpassed by their level of expertise and knowledge of these elite teams of warriors! If you have the privilege of meeting one of these individuals, take the time to listen, thank them for their service and never forget what they too have given!
Take the time to see this incredible place!

Absolutely fascinating, you must stop here. John was an incredible guide and the stories are amazing.

Wonderful museum.a retired smokejumper shared the amazing history and personal stories of the people on this base. Truly enjoyed it.

You call a number and they come over. We just read all the signs outside. Bathroom very nice

We were initially a bit skeptical because there were no attendants and only a sign on the door saying to call Gary (we came in the middle of a Tuesday).

I'm so glad I did. He showed up quickly and walked our party of three around the whole site. Gary was a Smokejumper at this base and provided amazing insight and some awesome stories about his time there. He was able to tell us about personal stories relating to many of the photos and items which we would never have learned otherwise.

I would have been happy with this visit if we had paid $20, but for a completely free guided tour from someone with first-hand experience, this is a must-go. I cannot recommend it highly enough if you are at all interested in history.