Sumpter Valley Dredge

One of the nation’s oldest gold dredges

An impressive piece of mining equipment is the centerpiece of this park nestled in the town of Sumpter Valley, at the base of the majestic Elkhorn Mountain Range. Essentially a ship on dry land, the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge unearthed the valley in search of gold, leaving piles of debris in its wake. 

Sumpter Valley Dredge was the last of three built in Sumpter Valley. It ran almost continuously, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, from 1935 until 1954. It’s estimated the dredge dug up more than $4 million in gold during its lifetime.