aerial fire depot and smokejumper center

DocW543

You will be able to learn quite a bit about the Smokejumper program that began in 1939 on the Okanogan National Forest outside Winthrop, WA.

551SusanR

Be sure to take the tour and treat your guests to the museum. This is especially good in the summer when there is much activity and the jumpers are there! Lots of history and it is fun and interesting both, to see where the jumpers are based, who go all over to fight the fires for our safety.

GenghisKhan

We enjoyed this museum very much. From the model of a fire watch tower, to the details on how to make your own smokejumper outfit, we learned lots of new facts about smokejumping and firefighting.Lots of great T-shirts and patches to buy!

m2ice

Make sure to take the tour which is completely behind the scenes. You get to see the complete operation of the smoke jumper base and we even spent some time inside the DC-3 jump plane. If you are anywhere nearby during fire season is well worth the time.

cssasmith

I brought my family to get a glimpse into the life of a smokejumper at Region 1 headquarters, Missoula. My little brother used to jump out of this base and it was fun to see his picture on the wall and run into people who knew him on the base. His daughter designed the signs outside. I enjoyed the video clips on firefighting, the full-sized replica of a lookout tower, the parachute bay, the jump plane tour, and humorous presentation of our tour guide. Time well spent!

Carrie_clb_111

Super great stop for a family to tour where the smoke jumpers live and see what their lives are like waiting for a fire. Saw the parachutes hanging and how they fold them, toured the airplane and tried to lift the 80 lb pack they wear in a fire. The men live and work in this museum/dorm space. Excellent education.

williamb13335

What a pleasant surprise! New respect for these courageous men and women after seeing first hand their equipment, their dedication and their skills. Shortly after our tour began- we were watching parachutes being inspected and packed-a very exacting job, an announcement came over the intercom and our guide said, "Sorry, I have to go, I will get someone else to finish your tour". Within 45 minutes, he was on a plane to California where he would stay for a minimum of 14 days-maybe 21 or 28. He had packed and ready to go, all of his supplies-medical, nutritional and safety in an 85 pound pack. The rest of the tour was excellently finished by a very well spoken, enthusiastic young woman.

S1508VBkathyh

I enjoyed the scenery and the tour was real good . The lDy was very knowledgeable and knew the answers to any questions . It was also neat to walk through there work space and see how things were done and seeing them doing there parachutes !!

KathuP

We visited, because we were interested in the training and occupation of smokejumpers. Museum was interesting. Be sure and take a tour with one of the well-informed interns - very informative. And be sure and try to pick up that 80 pound pack. It gives us great appreciation for the people who do this job. Especially timely, since there was a big fire in Eastern Washington at the time.

701melaniem

The Smokejumper Center is a great place to visit! Tours are free and our guide was wonderful and informative. Tours start at the top of the hour. They show you all the equipment needed for smokejumpers, as well as tell you the training needed. You then tour the smokejumpers loft where they sew their own equipment, repair and pack parachutes, the gear area and airplanes. Smokejumpers are there working and one of them was nice enough to interrupt his lunch and give us a tour of both planes. He explained lots and patiently answered tons of questions. This was one of my family's favorite things we did on our vacation. Our kids ranged in age from 7-13. We definitely have an even greater respect for what these folks do. If you're in the area, make a point to stop.

AshleyG343

We stopped here on our way through town, and I am sure glad that we did! The tour took about an hour and was very interesting. The girl leading the tour was quite knowledgeable. For such a small place, it was a great time!

FltEngCPO

The visitor center and tours are free and if your timing is right you might get a tour of a jump plane too. We learned a lot about wildfires, smoke jumpers and how the whole process works. And we got to tour the DC-3 and the Sherpa (Shorts 360) too. If you are in the area, this is well worth the 1-2 hours max for a tour.

JC19552012

Wasn't sure what this would be like but it was so worth a visit. It was a real privilege to see the areas where these brave people work. The guide was well informed and there were lots of opportunities for questions. Good displays

RayF590

The US Forest Service have a Visitors Centre at their smoke jumpers base at Missoula airport. A guide explained the qualifications required, the training undertaken and then their operational life. This was then followed by a walk through of their maintenance area, parachute packing area & the store area where they have parachutes & supply packs. It takes a special type of person to jump into inaccessible terrain to fight fires.

COLEVILLE

It was free but we left a donation.We learned so much about the smoke jumpers. The tour guide did a great job!! It takes some very special men and women to do this job!!