Sumpter has long been well known as a winter playground for snowmobilers-and rightfully so. But Sumpter has a well-kept secret...snowshoeing! One of the most accesible snowshoe trails in Sumpter leads around the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area. The trail eventually reaches the Cracker Creek Museum of Mining and the home of the historic Monighan Dragline - an historic Sumpter landmark.The hike begins at the entrance to the State Park at the Sumpter Train Depot and State Park Day Use Area and ends at the Sumpter Fairgrounds. This favorite hike among local snowshoers keeps you in Sumpter the entire hike and yet takes you over three miles of natural habitat trails ~ while never taking you more than a few minutes from your lodging in Sumpter. Total time spent on this hike is approximately 2 hours. The only sound that you'll hear is the distant hum of snowmobilers on the local Sumpter trails. This trail briefly follows the Ridge Trail through the North end of the park to the Powder River. This is your first glimpse of the dredge tailings across the river as well as a spectacular view of Mt. Ireland and is the first of many breathtaking photo opportunities. The trail then follows the Powder River South through the park as it turns into Sumpter Valley Dredge Overlook Trail. At this point, you can choose to hike around the rear of the Dredge, with a closeup view of the imposing Stacker Arm, and on around to the front of the Dredge itself or the Overlook Trail, which climbs slightly, giving you a great side view of the Dredge and takes you along side the Dredge to the most popular spot for photos. This trail eventually will lead you to the Interpretive Store. The Dredge is closed during the winter (Oct 31 - May 1st) to indoor tours. And the State Park is closed to vehicle traffic....But remains open all winter to snowmobiles and snowshoes! The Dredge is visible as you drive into Sumpter from Highway 7, but to see it up close during the winter, you will need snowshoes or a snowmobile. Snowshoeing has been evolving from a necessary tool for surviving Eastern Oregon winters to a winter sport! Modern day snowshoeing is made up of casual snowshoers who hike trails for pleasure, the snowshoeing enthusiasts who trek through the backcountry, and the competitors who race. We may have to use snowshoes to clean snow off our roofs, but we still like to snowshoe in Sumpter for the pleasure! You can choose trails that are under a mile in length, mostly level, and relatively easy - or you can choose trails in the area that will challenge even the expert snowshoer with plenty of adventure! The motto here is..."No Snow Like Sumpter Snow!"