On July 18, 2025, veterans and community volunteers completed the rebuilding of Reynolds Shelter on Reynolds Ridge in the Umpqua National Forest. Across more than 500 volunteer hours, the crew worked side-by-side using traditional construction techniques—hauling heavy timbers, installing hand-split sugar pine shakes, and reviving skills that are rarely seen today.

Reynolds Shelter has a long history. First built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, it provided refuge for hunters,

backpackers, horseback riders, and families exploring the ridge for nearly a century. When it was lost to a human-caused fire in 2018, the community felt the absence deeply. The shelter was more than a structure; it was part of our shared outdoor heritage.

During the rebuild, volunteers met a family who had long ties to the ridge. One family member grew up in Roseburg and remembered hunting at Reynolds with his father, who first began visiting the ridge in the 1940s. Encounters like that — quiet, personal reminders of what these places mean — made the work feel especially important.

Led by a Navy veteran and U.S. Forest Service retiree, the crew combined experience, determination, and heart. The shelter’s timbers even included poles donated from the property of a WWII veteran and conservation legend Frank Moore, tying the project further into the story of stewardship across generations.

Now, Reynolds Shelter stands ready again to welcome travelers — a dry place out of the weather, a rest stop on a long ride, or a

moment to pause and take in the forest. This project was more than construction: it was a gift from volunteers to the larger community, a tangible reminder that public lands belong to all of us and are worth the care and effort it takes to protect them.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of it!