What I would like to do is kick back and watch trains roll by right from my campsite. Any ideas? Here are a few places I’ve found.
Fantasy Island Campground at Packers Island (Sunbury), PA. This place stands on its own as a neat destination. But rail traffic is light and there’s little to no visibility from the campground. However, facilities of the North Shore Railroad are within walking distance and there’s maybe a half dozen trains per day. There’s also the Front Street Station a few blocks away in Northumberland for an outdoor trackside lunch.
Loose Caboose at Kinzers, PA. This place is right next to Amtrak’s Philadelphia/Harrisburg line. The campground is built into a hill on four tiers. Many of sites on the north or downhill side of each tier have a direct view to the tracks. For a wide unobstructed view you can set up your camp chair on the lawn in front of their picnic pavilion. The traffic is mostly Amtrak commuter trains which can be a bit monotonous. But they are frequent and somewhat predictable. The campground is about 8 miles from the Strasburg Railroad and about 2 miles from Rough and Tumble. If you have any appreciation for steam or machinery, you should check out the Rough and Tumble Threshermen's Reunion.
Riverfront Campground at Duncannon, PA. This place is on a narrow flood plane between the Susquehanna River and the old Pennsy main line. Rail traffic is heavy. I visit in November so visibility to the tracks is good right from the campsites. I also like to set up my camp chair on the concrete dock by the boat ramp where I can see down river for miles and watch trains meandering along both shores of the Susquehanna. While there are some “full-hookup” sites, this place is a rustic, bare-bones fishing camp. There are none of the amenities one would expect at a typical family campground.
Brunswick Family Campground at Brunswick, MD. This place is along the old B&O main line. Traffic is heavy. Sounds from the classification yard are nonstop. But visibility is poor to nonexistent. Nevertheless, it’s just a short drive or bike ride back to Brunswick and the big MARC parking lot where visibility is great. There’s also the Brunswick railroad museum. There are no full-hookup campsites. Water and electric connections are located at every other site. Be prepared to hookup curb-side. Be prepared to share a water faucet with your neighbor. Areas A and D are open fields and could accommodate any size rig. Areas B and C are shaded but have smaller sites.
Harpers Ferry Campground at Harpers Ferry, WV. This place is either new or recently renovated. I haven’t stayed there yet, but plan to next year. Most all sites back up right to the river. I believe there are no full-hookup sites but many if not most have water and electric. The place is wedged between the river and the old B&O main line. Traffic is heavy. I don’t know about visibility. There’s no office at the campground. The place is run from River Riders back out on Rt. 340. The road to the campground goes through a brutal one-lane tunnel that’s blind to oncoming traffic. The locals know to honk on the way through to warn opposing traffic. The honking carries down to the campground. There’s a neat 2 mile hike to the Amtrak station along an access road between the river and tracks. Also check out the Harpers Ferry Toy Train Museum and Joy Line Miniature Railroad which is on the way to the campground.
I have some pictures of most of these places on my website at...
http://www.jeff-z.com/rv/log/log.html
