Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum

"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."

"So glad we made this stop. Within a few minutes of arriving, Gary arrived and gave us a very thorough history, along with many personal stories. Much of the museum is maintained by volunteers (former jumpers, or their family), so its small but passionate. We stayed for ~1.5 hours, with a small gift store selection at the end of the tour with a donation box."

"Saw this on the map whilst on a road trip - it was right off the highway & we decided to turn in. What a great little museum - I never knew about smoke jumpers until this very visit! Plenty of photos & actual kits & equip to see. Wish I had more time there! We just wondered around for self-guided tour but the volunteer (former smoke jumper) was more than happy to guide/answer questions/share his experience. Admission is free, they have souvenirs on sale & a donation box. Do donate if you can & support this place of great historical value (I'm not from the USA & loved it!)"

"What a brilliant SEASONAL hidden gem!!! It’s a must-do stop on the Redwood Highway, just south of the small town of Cave Junction. I believe they’re only open seasonally between April-November, so check before you stop in. The tours are given by the retired Smoke-Jumpers themselves....the stories, the experiences, the knowledge to be shared is overwhelming. Truly a must see and hear experience. Many of the jumpers were also in Vietnam, giving a whole new perspective on life. Parking is abundant. Tours are FREE, but please make a donation in hopes to keep this museum open!!"

"They have guided tours by men who were smoke jumpers back in the '60s. That was pretty cool. He said they have to bring the buildings back to the condition they were in the '60's. They had to change window back to single pane and lay the office out the same way it was. They have a photo to help them get it there. They have put a lot of work into it. I gave it a 4 star because they were having a meeting in one of the biggest room with all the photos. The meeting was about whether to shut the place down or not."