Chicken Historic Park or Site
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Historic Park or Site
This dredge is located at Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost. The dredge mined on Pedro Creek just outside of Fairbanks from 1938 until 1959 before it was moved to Chicken Creek and operated between 1959 and 1967. Mike Busby and Bernie Karl purchased the dredge and moved it and other mining equipment down to Chicken in 1998 as a tourist attraction. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
At Milepost 67 Taylor Highway you will find the Chicken Creek Bridge. This is the site of a dredge that was operated by the Fairbanks Exploration Company from 1959 until 1965. In an average run of the dredge, it was operating 24 hours a day for 2 weeks. At it’s peak, one run would bring in $40,000 in gold.
At Milepost 69 you will arrive at the Lost Chicken Hill Mine, which was established in 1895. It got its name because it held a pay streak that had been “lost” for many years. The area has mining history that began before the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 – 98. It is now privately owned and mined.
At Milepost 68 Taylor Highway you pull off and enjoy this easy, 1.5 mile hike to an overlook above the remains of Mosquito Fork Dredge. This dredge was shut down in 1938 after operating for less than 2 seasons.