Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aerial Fire Depot and Smokejumper Center
Sharing space with the largest smokejumper training base in the country, the
Aerial Fire
Depot and Smokejumper Center
(5765 W. Broadway, 0.5 mile west of the Missoula
airport, 406/329-4934,
www.smokejumpers.com
, 8:30am-5pm daily Memorial Day-Labor
Day, by appointment Labor Day-Memorial Day, free admission, free tours daily in summer)
is a fascinating place for those interested in wildfires and the firefighters who parachute
in to battle them. There is a memorial to those killed on duty and a replica of a 1930s
fire lookout; visitors on the 45-minute tour have access to the smokejumper loft where the
jumpers work when they are not fighting fires.
Brennan's Wave
Brennan's Wave draws boaters in downtown Missoula.
Although there is no street address, everyone in Missoula knows exactly where Brennan's
Wave is. Located on the Clark Fork River, right next to Caras Park, this engineered white-
water masterpiece was built in honor of Brennan Guth, a Missoula native and world-
class kayaker who perished in 2001 while paddling in Chile. The wave hosts big com-
petitions—the 2010 U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Championship brought 200 competitors to
town and thousands of spectators—and plenty of everyday paddlers looking for a thrill. The
