Diverse flora and fauna can be found surrounding Three Fingered Jack. The area around the volcano was historically inhabited by the Molala people, one of the indigenous groups in the northwestern United States. Not much is known about their culture, other than that the group fished for salmon and collected berries, fruits, obsidian, and dried herbs. The first person of non-indigenous descent to reach the area was David Douglas in 1825, followed by Peter Skene Ogden the following year. The first group to ascend the volcano reached its summit in September 1923. Three Fingered Jack can still be climbed, but when its face becomes foggy, climbers can become disoriented due to the low visibility conditions of climbing the mountain, requiring rescue.