Roadside Attraction Coke Ovens
East Carbon
Overview
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Tue 90 | 68 |
Wed 88 | 68 |
Thu 82 | 66 |
Fri 84 | 63 |
Sat 87 | 64 |
| View Full Weather Details | ||||
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Tue 90 | 68 |
Wed 88 | 68 |
Thu 82 | 66 |
Fri 84 | 63 |
Sat 87 | 64 |
| View Full Weather Details | ||||
The old Coke Ovens.
Carbon County is rich with mining history. A great place to explore that history is at the Coke Ovens near the small town of East Carbon. The area around Sunnyside and East Carbon was once home to hundreds of Coke Ovens. Most have been buried or otherwise destroyed over the years, but this site contains a fair number of them and is fascinating to visit.
What is a coke oven? Coal, when first mined, is full of impurities. A coke oven is a large brick “oven” structure that is used to heat the raw coal in order to burn off impurities. The result of the baking of the coal, called coke, is a more energy dense, cleaner form of fuel. Coke, with impurities removed, was above half the weight of the original coal, making it much more energy dense and easier to ship and use.
How did it work? The coke ovens were covered in dirt, with a railway track on top of them. A train, loaded with coal, would travel on top of the ovens, stopping to deposit coal from the train into the ovens via the hole in the top of each oven. The coal was then “baked”. After baking, it was a manual process to remove the coke from the bottom of the oven, separating it from the ashes during the process, and put it on another train for transport out of the region.
Very large old building.
Getting There
From Price Utah, head south on highway 6 toward I-70/Green River for about 14.4 miles to the junction with SR-123 signed East Carbon/Sunnyside.
Go east on SR-123 for 8.7 miles to the small town of East Carbon. Turn right (south) on SR-124.
- Reset your odometer as you turn onto SR-123. This route is well signed, so mileage shouldn't really be needed. ( 12S 550302mE 4377215mN / N39° 32' 35" W110° 24' 53" )
- 1.1 miles - Left onto dirt road signed to Coke Ovens / Range Creek Trailhead ( 12S 551302mE 4376173mN / N39° 32' 01" W110° 24' 11" )
- 1.4 miles - Right toward old building. ( 12S 551681mE 4376260mN / N39° 32' 04" W110° 23' 55" )
- Trailhead ( 12S 551738mE 4376203mN / N39° 32' 02" W110° 23' 53" )
A great view!
Route
From the parking area is a large abandoned building that was the office space for the coke oven process. It, though quite dilapidated, is very interesting to walk around and look into, along with a couple of smaller outbuildings. There are two long rows of coke ovens south and east of the old building.
The playground is to the south/southwest, with the small primitive campground just to the west of the playground.
Photos
Maps
| Trailhead |
12S 551738mE 4376203mN N39° 32' 02" W110° 23' 53" |
| Campground |
12S 551600mE 4375984mN N39° 31' 55" W110° 23' 58" |
| Old Building |
12S 551742mE 4376173mN N39° 32' 01" W110° 23' 52" |
| Coke Ovens |
12S 551822mE 4376080mN N39° 31' 58" W110° 23' 49" |