The Yankee Fork Gold Dredge is located in a remote river valley in central Idaho. The nearest town of any size is Stanley, and it’s relatively easy to get to by taking a relatively well-maintained gravel road off of Highway 75. Two historic towns located nearby are Custer and Bonanza, both of which have been abandoned for decades.
The dredging operations started in the fall of 1939, about six miles south of its current location. The dredge worked its way upstream digging up the narrow valley of the Yankee Fork River to extract the small particles of gold that were hidden within the gravels.
The dredge worked continuously until the fall of 1942, when operations were shut down during World War 2. After the war, the dredge was started up again and resumed work until 1952.
Even though the dredge was set up in a remote part of Idaho with harsh winters, it operated for approximately 10 months out of the year. It was run by a 3-man crew. One man was in charge of navigating the dredge, one was in charge of running the front buckets, and one man was in charge of the back end where material was discharged.
During the approximately 10 years of operation, the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge recovered several million dollars worth of gold. As a visual reference, reports indicate that approximately 2-square feet of gold was extracted from the valley.
This may seem like a lot of gold, but considering the huge amount of gravels that were dug up when you look at the 6-miles of tailing piles does put it into some perspective.
This dredge is now one of the finest preserved bucket line dredges in the world. The 4-story dredge is quite an amazing sight to see in the remote Yankee Fork valley. While there was a time that dredges were quite common through the West, most of them were torn down after they were finished with them. The material from the dredge were either reused or scrapped for metal, which is why dredges like this are very rare now.
Through the hard work of a lot of people, the dredge has been beautifully maintained and restored. In fact, you can even take a tour of the dredge between Memorial Day and Labor Day! Hours are from 10:00 to 4:30. If you arrive during off hours you won’t be able to go inside, but you can still walk around the dredge from the outside.
Visiting the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge is a truly unique experience. It reminds us of an era that has passed, when men worked hard to make a living from the land. Of all the mining that took place in Idaho, the remnants of the Yankee Fork Dredge might be our best visual example left from that time.
Next: The Monsters of the Goldfields – Bucket Line Dredges
