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Ah Hee Diggings Interpretive Site

The Ah Hee Diggins Interpretive Site  displays the mining efforts of Chinese miners in the late 1800s and the resulting hand-stacked rock tailings that can be seen from the Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway. Although the miners could not file their own claims, holders could sell or lease worked-out claims to Chinese owned companies. To pursue their gold mining efforts, the miners muscled rock into piles across 16 acres of the valley to expose the streambed. They used gold pans, rockers and sluice boxes to extract the gold that was missed by previous mining operations from the sediment in the streambed.

Current Conditions
Not maintained in the off-season.

General Information

June- September

Open 24 hours/day

General rules of use and restrictions apply for this developed recreation site.

No fees are required for this site

No fee is needed for this site.

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Headquarters

Address: 1550 Dewey Avenue Suite A Baker City, OR 97814
Phone: (541) 523-6391
Hours: Open to the public; Monday- Thursday, 10 am- 12 pm; 12:45 - 3pm | Friday, 10 am- 12 pm (Closed on federal holidays)
Office Email: sm.fs.wwnf-webmail@usda.gov

Getting There

Latitude / Longitude

Latitude: 44.828692

Longitude: -118.414614

Directions

From Baker City, OR, travel south on Highway 7 for 26 miles to the Sumpter Valley Highway (State 220); Turn right on the Sumpter Valley Highway and go through Sumpter towards Granite on Forest 73 (Elkhorn Scenic Byway) for about 20 miles; At Granite turn right on Forest Road 73 and travel 1.5 miles to the site. The site is adjacent to the Sumpter/Granite Highway, on the Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway.

Parking

3-4 vehicles, good for trailers/RVs

Facility and Amenity Information

Restrooms

Restrooms are not available at this site.

Water

Potable water is not available at this site.

Recreation Opportunities

Last updated December 22, 2025