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Japanese Bombing Site Trail sign.

Japanese Bombed Here

Field review by the editors.

Brookings, Oregon

The exact spot where a Oregon was bombed in World War II lies deep in a National Forest. On September 9. 1942, less than a year after the sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, a lone Japanese floatplane slipped in over the coastal U.S. mainland and delivered a 170-lb. thermite bomb in to the forested mountains.

The bomb exploded, leaving a small crater and circle of charred trees. Unusually wet weather conditions prevented the fire from spreading. The site was eventually overgrown and forgotten, then rediscovered in 1972.

Japanese Bombing Site Trail sign.

Today, the site features interpretive signs, along with trees planted as an apology by the Japanese Imperial Navy pilot, Nobuo Fujita, who visited decades later.

Your GPS might tell you the site is not far from downtown Brookings, but that's misleading. To get to the remote location, visitors need a vehicle with reasonably high clearance, and patience to navigate 12 miles of scenic serpentine National Forest roads -- unpaved and marked as the Japanese Bombing Site Trail.

Also see: Samurai Sword of Pilot Who Bombed Oregon

Japanese Bombed Here

Address:
Mt. Emily Rd, Brookings, OR
Directions:
Remote site, gravel roads in forest, high clearance vehicle recommended. Just south of town and the Chetco River, turn inland off of US 101 onto Lower Harbor Rd/CR-808/South Bank Chetco River Rd. Drive five miles. Turn right onto Mt Emily Rd/NF-1205, follow onto unpaved, serpentine National Forest road. Drive 3.7 mi., turn left to stay on NF-1205 for 7.7 mi., continue straight onto NF-240 for 3.5 mi. Once you pass NF-260, Bombsite Trail will lead off of the road one-half mile to the site.
Hours:
Daylight hours. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
541-412-6000
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Samurai Sword of Pilot Who Bombed OregonSamurai Sword of Pilot Who Bombed Oregon, Brookings, OR - 9 mi.
Grounded Ship, Former MuseumGrounded Ship, Former Museum, Smith River, CA - 10 mi.
Eiffel Tower FountainEiffel Tower Fountain, Gasquet, CA - 18 mi.
In the region:
Ocean World Aquarium, Crescent City, CA - 23 mi.

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