Great Gold Dredge-Off Burnt River

📍 Lost Dutchman's Burnt River Gold Camp | Durkee, Oregon
📅 July 13–17, 2027 | Tuesday–Saturday
🏆 Presented by LDMA & GPAA | Featuring Digger

💦 THE CREEK IS CALLING. THE COMPETITION IS ON. THERE'S GOLD ON THE LINE! 

💦

Get ready for an unforgettable 4.5-day gold dredging adventure where hands-on education, teamwork, friendly competition, and the thrill of gold recovery come together for one incredible experience.

Welcome to Digger's Great Gold Dredge-Off—a premium, team-based gold dredging challenge hosted at the legendary Lost Dutchman's Burnt River Gold Camp in Durkee, Oregon.

Whether you've never operated a dredge or have spent decades working the creek, this is your opportunity to sharpen your skills, learn from experienced professionals, work alongside a dedicated team, and compete for some serious gold!

You'll be paired with fellow prospectors, including experienced dredgers and beginners, to form a five-person team. With guidance from experienced instructors and your own team mentor, you'll learn the techniques, strategies, and skills needed to work together and take on the competition.

And the stakes?

The winning team takes home a BIG GOLD POKE containing ½ ounce of gold nuggets!

The second-place team shares ¼ ounce of gold pickers.

Plus, daily specialty targets, team awards, fun challenges, and plenty of Digger-inspired surprises will keep the competition exciting from start to finish.

This is more than a dredging event.

It's your chance to learn the craft, challenge yourself, make new friends, and experience the excitement of gold dredging with a team.

Build Your Crew. Master the Dredge. Strike for Gold!

YOUR PREMIUM GOLD DREDGING EXPERIENCE

One of the most valuable parts of the Great Gold Dredge-Off is the opportunity to learn from experienced dredgers who understand the techniques, equipment, and strategies that make gold dredging successful.

Leading instruction will include John Boudreau, professional dredger and instructor with more than 40 years of experience, alongside LDMA staff and additional industry experts and guest instructors.

This isn't just watching someone demonstrate a technique.

You'll have the opportunity to learn, ask questions, work with your team, and apply what you've learned directly in the creek.

Never dredged before? You're welcome here.

Experienced dredger? There's plenty to learn, refine, and share.

Our team format is designed to pair beginners who want to learn with seasoned dredgers who can help guide the experience.

You'll learn how to work together, understand your equipment, improve your technique, and become a more confident gold dredger.

Five teams. Five participants per team. One BIG GOLD POKE waiting for the winners.

Each team will work together throughout the event, with an experienced dredger serving as a mentor or team captain.

Your team's daily gold recovery and specialty target points will contribute to your running competition total.

You'll compete simultaneously with the other teams, track your standings, and work toward the ultimate victory.

Every team member matters. Every run counts. Every day brings a new opportunity to move up the standings.

THE GREAT GOLD DREDGE-OFF EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

Master the Art of Gold Dredging

Gold dredging is more than simply putting a nozzle in the water and hoping for gold.

Understanding the creek, recognizing promising material, operating your dredge properly, and optimizing your recovery system can make a tremendous difference in your experience.

Throughout the Great Gold Dredge-Off, you'll receive structured instruction covering the fundamentals of dredging through more advanced techniques.

What You'll Learn

Dredge Fundamentals & Equipment Setup

Understand how a dredge works, what each component does, and how to properly prepare your equipment for operation.

Reading the Creek & Understanding Geology

Learn how to read creek conditions, recognize promising dredging zones, understand bedrock, and identify natural gold traps.

Dredging Techniques & Nozzle Control

Discover how to let the nozzle do the work, improve your technique, and work more effectively with your dredge.

Long-Arming & Air-Assisted Dredging

Learn how to begin working material from the surface using long-arming techniques and progress toward air-assisted dredging to work deeper underwater.

Suction Hose Troubleshooting

Learn techniques for identifying and addressing nozzle and suction hose clogs, along with practical troubleshooting considerations.

Tailings Management

Understand proper tailings disbursement and the importance of responsible dredging practices.

Sluice Optimization & Gold Recovery

Learn about sluice systems, recovery materials, gold capture, and the factors that influence recovery performance.

Dredge Maintenance & Troubleshooting

Become more familiar with your equipment, understand common operational challenges, and learn how to approach them.

Cleanup & Gold Separation

Learn proper cleanup procedures and techniques for separating and recovering the gold captured during your dredging runs.

Our goal is to help you leave with more knowledge, more confidence, and skills you can continue using long after the event ends.

THE COMPETITION: EVERY RUN COUNTS!

Work Together. Recover Gold. Earn Points.

The Great Gold Dredge-Off is designed to reward more than just experience or equipment size.

Teamwork, technique, communication, strategy, and determination all play a role in the competition.

How the Competition Works

• Participants are organized into five teams of five.

• Teams work with a designated experienced dredger serving as a mentor or team captain.

• Teams select their designated dredging zones and establish their working areas.

• Teams participate in daily dredging runs.

• Recovered gold contributes to the team's running total.

• Specialty targets provide additional points and opportunities to influence the standings.

• Teams compete simultaneously throughout the event.

• Final standings are determined according to the official competition scoring rules.

Daily standings will keep the competition exciting, giving every team a reason to keep pushing toward the final challenge.

The BIG GOLD POKE

The ultimate prize is waiting for the team that rises to the challenge!

🥇 First Place: Gold nugget poke containing ½ ounce of gold nuggets.

🥈 Second Place: The second-place team shares ¼ ounce of gold pickers.

The competition will include official scoring procedures and rules to help ensure a fair and exciting experience for all teams.

MORE THAN GOLD: THE DREDGE-OFF AWARDS

At the Great Gold Dredge-Off, we believe the best experiences deserve to be celebrated.

Alongside the main competition, we'll recognize participants and teams for the memorable moments, accomplishments, and personalities that make this event special.

Additional awards may include:

• Best Teamwork

• Most Improved Dredger

• Rookie of the Event

• Digger's Favorite Crew

• Funniest Happening

• And more Digger-inspired surprises!

Because sometimes the best memories come from the moments you never planned.

YOUR 4.5-DAY ADVENTURE

Tuesday, July 13 — Welcome to the Great Gold Dredge-Off!

The adventure begins with introductions, preparation, and getting your team ready for the challenge.

• Meet the event crew and instructors.

• Review the event schedule, competition format, and expectations.

• Meet your teammates and experienced team mentor.

• Learn the fundamentals of dredge operation and equipment setup.

• Review equipment requirements, safety considerations, and proper operation.

• Select your team's dredging zone and prepare your working area.

• Receive instruction on creek geology, dredging rules, nozzle technique, and tailings management.

• Begin long-arming and work toward progressing to air-assisted dredging.

Tuesday is all about getting prepared, building your team, and developing the foundation for a successful competition.

• The Competition is Underway!

Wednesday & Thursday — The Competition & Education Continues!

The creek becomes your classroom, and every run becomes an opportunity to learn and compete.

• Structured morning meetings and instruction.

• Hands-on dredging and team operation.

• Daily specialty target challenges.

• Gold recovery and team scoring.

• Opportunities for additional instruction and technique refinement.

• Daily competition standings.

• Evening fun, games, and community activities.

Your team will continue learning, improving, and working toward the top of the standings.

Friday — The Final Push!

With the competition heating up, every run becomes more important.

• Continue team dredging and gold recovery.

• Participate in daily specialty target challenges.

• Refine your techniques and team strategy.

• Track your standings and prepare for the final competition day.

• Enjoy additional event activities and Digger-inspired fun.

Saturday, July 17 — Final Runs & Awards!

It's time to bring it all together.

• Early morning dredging and final competition runs.

• Final cleanup and gold recovery.

• Official scoring and determination of final standings.

• Recognition of the winning teams and special award recipients.

• Celebrate the accomplishments, friendships, and memories of the Great Gold Dredge-Off.

The event concludes Saturday afternoon.

The final daily schedule and competition rules will be provided to registered participants.

⚒️ WHAT YOUR REGISTRATION INCLUDES ⚒️

Your Great Gold Dredge-Off registration is designed to deliver a complete, organized, and memorable gold dredging experience.

✓ 4.5-day hosted gold dredging experience.

✓ Organized five-person team competition.

✓ Experienced team mentor or captain.

✓ Instruction from experienced dredgers and LDMA staff.

✓ Professional dredging instruction from John Boudreau, with more than 40 years of experience.

✓ Hands-on dredge training and equipment instruction.

✓ Dredge use during the event through team-shared equipment.

✓ Gold recovery equipment and supplies.

✓ Organized daily competition runs.

✓ Daily specialty target challenges.

✓ Team scoring and competition standings.

✓ Digger's Great Gold Dredge-Off event swag package.

✓ Digger's Great Gold Dredge-Off certification and certificate.

✓ Opportunity to compete for the BIG GOLD POKE.

✓ Additional team awards, recognition, activities, and event surprises.

Choose Your Registration

$900 per participant

$1,050 per participant

Non-members are welcome to participate without purchasing an LDMA membership.

Your registration includes the full Great Gold Dredge-Off experience, education, competition, team participation, and event swag package.

Camping and meals are available separately.

“There’s nothing like seeing that first glimmer in your pan — and at Vein Mountain, there’s plenty of gold waiting to be found.”

Who Can Participate?

The Great Gold Dredge-Off is designed for participants of all experience levels.

• No previous dredging experience is required.

• Participants must be at least 16 years old.

• Beginners are welcome and will have opportunities to learn and participate.

• Experienced dredgers are encouraged to share their knowledge and help their teams succeed.

Dredge & Equipment Requirements

Dredge use is included through team-shared equipment.

LDMA will have a limited number of dredges available, and participants may bring their own dredges for team use.

Maximum nozzle size: 4 inches.

Participants are responsible for bringing required personal equipment, including appropriate wetsuits and diving equipment.

A detailed equipment and preparation list will be provided to registered participants.

Camping & Meals

Camping at Lost Dutchman's Vein Mountain Gold Camp is available separately for an additional fee.

Meals, snacks, and beverages will be available for purchase.

Additional details regarding camping reservations and meal availability will be provided before the event.

The Great Gold Dredge-Off is intentionally limited to 25 participants to support a more personalized, hands-on, and organized experience.

With only five teams available, this is your opportunity to participate in a premium gold dredging experience designed around education, teamwork, adventure, and competition.

Don't wait until the teams are full.

Gather your crew, secure your registration, and get ready to join Digger for the ultimate team gold dredging challenge!

Register today for Digger's Great Gold Dredge-Off.

📍 Lost Dutchman's Burnt River Gold Camp
Durkee, Oregon
📅 July 13-17, 2027

Presented by the Lost Dutchman's Mining Association & Gold Prospectors Association of America

Featuring Digger

🔥 LIMITED SPOTS – DON’T MISS OUT!

This event sells out fast every season.

Secure your spot today and get ready to uncover the hidden gold waiting beneath the water!

(Participants will be teamed up with a dredge)

Cancellation Policy:

No Cancelation Refunds for any reason 10-days prior to the Event registered for.

“No Shows” will forfeit any participant/registration fees paid.

If participant(s) are unable to participate at the event they had registered for, they MUST notify the LDMA Events Hotline at 888-465-3717 Office 10-days prior to the Event they registered for to receive a refund for monies paid, minus Cancelation Fee.

 Event Cancelation Fee:                  $200 / per participant

Also, be aware that if you are unable to complete the full term of your 2027 LDMA National Event for any reason while at the Event, that you will not be refunded for any or all unused part(s) of the scheduled 2027 LDMA National Event fee.