Ober Creek

Coal mine road, Delta Junction, AK

Coal mine road is a rough track that branches off the Richardson Highway some 15 to 20 miles south of Delta Junction and roughly follows Ober Creek.  Most of it is accessible only by foot or ATV. We camped at the cabin at Coal mine #5 lake, fished in the lake and scorched in the sun.  We four-wheeled to the coal mine at the southern end of the road where we found a geocache in an abandoned digging machine. The link says the coal mine was operative up to 1960 and supplied only local needs.

Track from our cabin (at top) to the coal mine: map courtesy Bing

According to here there is silver and gold placer deposits in the area but we didn't find any. But the wild flowers and the backdrop of the Alaska Range are stunning.

The remains of the coal mine

Fishing on the lake

One of the many lakes with the Delta river in the background

Artic lupines and white Mountain Avens flowers

The Alaska Range

Fording the Ober Creek

Coal digging machine inners