I like the Peaceful Pines campground in Cheney, WA. Secluded, off the Interstate by a fair margin and not TOO close to the tracks. There is a dog walk in the general area of the path to get trackside. Best be sticking to the campground at night. BNSF is about 75 yards away and the Washy just beyont that about 125 yards past that.


I also really liked the "downtown" campsite in Echo, OR, just South of Hermiston. Never saw a caretaker, just leave money in the courtesy check-in. UP curves quite nicely around the town and makes a long train seem longer. There is nowhere at the site to view the trains, just hear them.

There was this one campsite that was Northwest of Weiser, ID, on the Oregon side of the Snake River. It was run by a family out of a mobile home, and was just average by my standards. Some great action by UP on the other side of the river. That campsite had one of the best acoustics for the railfan. No crossings, no sharp curves for that annoying 3 o'clock flange squeal, the mountains there echoed the locomotives perfectly for many minutes after they were out of view. Helpers added to the fun, and a 200mm zoom captured the unobstructed pan shots of the trains. The only downfall was the lack of restaurants in the area, though I can respectfully understand why.

almo