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AUGUST 18�25, 2021
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Birds and other wildlife fre-
quent the area, and views of
the Strawberry Wilderness
Range peek between branch-
es.
The easy trail — part gravel,
part paved — is about a half-
mile round trip. Motorized
vehicles are not allowed.
Interpretive signs along the
way explain the logging his-
tory of the area, the railway
route and the operations of the
switchback system that was
designed so the trains could
conquer the steep mountain
passes. Paths also lead up to
a fenced area overlooking the
tracks, with more interpretive
signs.
Incorporated in 1890, the
railway was constructed in
Baker City, extending farther
and farther westward through
the communities of McEwen,
Whitney and Sumpter to haul
logs from mills in those areas.
In 1910, the SVRy stretched its
reach into the John Day Valley
at Prairie City.
In addition to rumbling
across the landscape with end-
less loads of logs, the railway
also ran a frequent schedule of
passenger services.
By the 1930s, however, the
double threat of automobiles
CULTURE & HERITAGE
and improved roads led to the
demise of the SVRy. The ser-
vice fi nally slowed to a silent
halt in 1933.
The one-time depot in
Prairie City is now the DeWitt
Museum, located at Depot Park
— on the same site it served
during the SVRy heyday.
CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
The Sumpter Valley Railroad
Interpretive Site is on Highway
26, about 8 miles east of Prairie
City and 60 miles west of Baker
City.
For more information, visit
www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mal-
heur/recarea/?recid=40170.
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The Sumpter Valley Railroad Interpretive Site, 8 miles east of Prairie City on Highway 26, off ers a historic stroll among
the pines.
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