Camping next to Rails

[James Sofonia]

I have camped with my RV in Port Henry, New York on Lake Champagne in a camp that had the Hudson & Delaware running right past several of the sites. Amtrak runs this route to Montreal was a great rail fan experience while rv'ing. Is there any such campground in Michigan or nearby with this experience?

[CAT345C]

I have camped with my RV in Port Henry, New York on Lake Champagne in a camp that had the Hudson & Delaware running right past several of the sites. Amtrak runs this route to Montreal was a great rail fan experience while rv'ing. Is there any such campground in Michigan or nearby with this experience?

You can camp along the Marquette near Walhalla in the national forest. I don't recommend it unless you want a midnight wake up call and a 4 am wake up call. There are tons of places in the UP that allow you to camp along the rails, just not a lot of trains to see.

[Saturnalia]

I have camped with my RV in Port Henry, New York on Lake Champagne in a camp that had the Hudson & Delaware running right past several of the sites. Amtrak runs this route to Montreal was a great rail fan experience while rv'ing. Is there any such campground in Michigan or nearby with this experience?

You can camp along the Marquette near Walhalla in the national forest. I don't recommend it unless you want a midnight wake up call and a 4 am wake up call. There are tons of places in the UP that allow you to camp along the rails, just not a lot of trains to see.

You can camp along the tracks in Grand Haven, but just like Walhalla, you'll get a 2200 train and a 400 train, or thereabouts, rumbling just yards from your site:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0413343 ... !1e3?hl=en

[J T]

Mike Danneman's kick arse camping-next-to-rails shot:

[KC]

Trout Lake has the camp ground right next to CN's main line. Not sure if they have AM wake up calls or not.

KC

[dmitzel]

Does Deshler, OH along the B&O count?

[EWRice]

Grand Junction, Lester lake is along CSX between Holland and Benton Harbor. Back when CP or CN ran on that line (I don't remember which it was) it was hard to get any sleep.

Otsego Lake State park in Gaylord. We spent a week there and saw one NB and one SB, so not a high traffic line.

[CSX_CO]

It would be a day's drive, but the Grant County Recreation Area along the Mississippi River, just outside Potosi, WI offers camping right next to the tracks. Within about 25 to 40 feet of it actually. I don't know traffic counts along there, but it would be relatively busy stretch of track. I love that stretch of the river.

Practice Safe CSX

[James Sofonia]

Does Deshler, OH along the B&O count?

Looks like an interesting train hot spot, but no campground there.
I'm checking out some of the other suggestions for some summer fun.
Mike Danneman's picture is just right.

[~Z~]

Does Deshler, OH along the B&O count?

Looks like an interesting train hot spot, but no campground there.

Well, there sorta is. Lots of railfans put up tents or use a small trailer at the Crossroads Park in Deshler. Encouraged to drop a donation in the box if you visit, but otherwise free. During our meets there and our upcoming fall meet we'll have in Deshler this year, a number of us put tents on the grass on either side of the street, hang at the shelter(has electric hookups), have a fire going, and use the eel house(portapotty.)

[ConrailDetr​oit]

I will ask the same question about the area of Sandusky and Port Clinton, Ohio, Any known places to camp within sight of the Chicago Line or the line to Bellevue?

[Tom Train]

VanRiper State Park at Champion, and Baraga State park in Baraga in the UP onthe Ishpeming-Baraga line. At Baraga, you will only see the power go past. Van Riper is only three miles from the new Mineral Range crossing. Just west of has the GLC track enroute to Bates, on the south border of the campground.

[Tom Train]

I dropped a line fom the above thread. The GLC line about Bates isz in reference to Keith Charters State Park in Traverse City.

[Jochs]

I can't remember where it was, perhaps Norwalk, OH. Not sure of the locale.
In 1989, when we headed out to Rhode Island for my cousin's wedding, we stopped at some campground which was along the NS main. There was an overpass nearby with an "N&W" sign on it, and there was welded rail so trains rolled through relatively quietly...no horns or noise from rail joints.

The lady said a steam train had gone by a few weeks ago...I think it was the N&W 1218.

Down in Georgia, the KOA near Cartersville is (or was) next to a busy CSX main. You could watch trains go by from the campground.

There used to be a campground between Coloma and Watervliet on the north side of Red Arrow Highway here in SW MI, which was along the CSX Grand Rapids sub, but it has been vacant for many years now.

Eden Springs (formerly the House of David Trailer Park) in Benton Harbor has their own little railroad.
http://www.edenspringspark.com/

[southshorepapa]

There is a company campground at the Newmar factory in Napannee, Indiana right across the highway from the CSX main. Not sure if anyone can camp there or you have to be a Newmar owner. Camped there three days one time while they were working on our RV. Hardly slept a wink all night.

[fmilhaupt]

Back in the mid-1970s, my family borrowed a trailer and set up camp at a campground south of Sandusky, Ohio to stay the nights before and after a visit to Cedar Point.

We didn't realize until after dark, when a brace of N&W diesels came roaring past with a heavy freight about 50 feet south of the trailer, that the campground was on the former NKP line between Bellevue and Cleveland.

A version of the campground is still there, on US-250. It's called the Milan Travel Park, now.

[firemedic54]

We stayed at Harrisville State Park some years ago. IIRC the LSRC runs along there east of US23 and we encountered a couple of trains. Not sure of their schedule now but I imagine it to be sporadic at best.

[southshorepapa]

Cincinnati south KOA is across the street from NS mainline to Chattanooga.

[Tom Train]

Also in Marquette County just west of Van Riper State Park, see above, is Michigamme Shores campground. The Baraga train goes right through the heart of the campground by the campsites.

[Raildudes dad]

Back in the mid-1970s, my family borrowed a trailer and set up camp at a campground south of Sandusky, Ohio to stay the nights before and after a visit to Cedar Point.

We didn't realize until after dark, when a brace of N&W diesels came roaring past with a heavy freight about 50 feet south of the trailer, that the campground was on the former NKP line between Bellevue and Cleveland.

A version of the campground is still there, on US-250. It's called the Milan Travel Park, now.

My daughter stayed in a tent there 10+ years ago and said the trains were rolling by every hour, they could hear the highway all night and airplanes in the morning.