Sample the history of Eastern Oregon's ghost towns at these two state parks hidden in the Blue Mountains.  At Bates a trail from a new campground loops around the pond of an abandoned company lumber town.  At Sumpter, a loop explores the creekside tailings left by a gold dredge ship.  Birds flock to both of these recovering industrial sites.  Because the loops are short, and the parks are jest 28 miles apart, it's easy to visit both in a day.

Prospectors discovered gold a few miles east of here at Auburn in 1861.  The arrival of the Sumpter Valley Railroad in 1890 launched a second rush, this time for timber.  The narrow-gauge rairoad hauled so much lumber from sawmills at Bates and Prairie City that the line became known as the "Stump Dodger."

To see what's left of Bates, drive Highway 26 east . . .  

 . . .

You could return to your car here, but you can see more by turning left on the North Trail.  THis path accesses a cobble beach of Cracker Creek.  After 0.3 mile turn left on the Dredge Overlook Trail, cut across the railroad station parking area, cross the paved road, and take the Walking Trail back to the dredge and your car.

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon