Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area

 Gold was discovered in Sumpter in 1862 however the first dredge wasn't put into operation until 1913. Dredges work the same way as placer mining but instead of one person swirling water in a pan until all that's left is the heavy gold, the dredge buckets scoop up tons of rock, gravel and sand which is dumped on  conveyors. The rocks and large gravel are sorted and discarded. The sand is washed leaving gold caught in a series of rifles. Water and rocks are dumped out the back of the dredge which allows the dredge to keep moving forward in it's own little pond. This is a very destructive process because it leaves behind piles of rocks without any soil so little grows even years after the dredges stop running. Eight miles of stream bed were turned over in Sumpter between 1913 and 1954 when dredging stopped. 

 The last dredge to operate in Sumpter was restored and is open for self tours daily and ranger led tours on the weekends. There's also a small museum, and trails through the dredge piles and into town. 

The museum has a ramp and is accessible. The parking lot has loose gravel so park as close to the ramp as possible. The dredge is accessible but it's down a dirt and gravel slope, and has a steep transition from the bridge to the dredge deck. Visitors in wheelchairs may need assistance. Due to loose gravel and steep sections the trails are not accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for any RV. Dredge  44.74169, -118.20326