Join the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Bureau of Land Management and Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology for a guided history hike at the Buck Rock Tunnel on Sunday, May 21.
Southern Oregon University’s Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project has spent years investigating Buck Rock Tunnel, the original Oregon and California Railroad route through the Siskiyou mountains. The tunnel and surrounding railroad grade were under construction between 1883 and 1884 by Chinese railroad workers. The project is a collaboration between the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) and the BLM, and is part of the larger multi-agency research project that is investigating Chinese immigrant sites from across the state.
You can join in on the discovery by attending a guided history hike to the site. BLM and SOU archaeologists will feature artifacts and updates on the project findings, historical maps, and information about the history of the Buck Rock Tunnel in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
Tours will be held at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon, with departures at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m., respectively, from the Rite Aid Parking lot.
Directions: Tour groups will meet and carpool from the Rite Aid parking lot, at 2341 Ashland S.t, Ashland. Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to tour time.
Hike duration: Around four miles total (two miles out and two miles back)
Hike length: approximately 2.5 hours
Difficulty level: Moderately strenuous
On the day of the hike:
Be sure to bring a sense of adventure.
Wear comfortable hiking shoes
Bring snacks and enough water for the day
Additional items: Hat, sunscreen, walking sticks, binoculars, hand lens; bring layers
Please be considerate of the group and meet on time at the designated location.
For more information about the tours, send inquiries to Zaynab Brown at [email protected]