After a nice drive through eastern Washington we made our way over Deadmans Pass and on to Emigrant Springs State Park campground.
The Emigrant Springs State Park lies between Deadmans Pass and Meacham, Oregon directly off I-84 on the summit of the Blue Mountains. Travelers along the Oregon Trail used to stop here to replenish their water supply. This campground has lots of tall trees for shade but we would recommend unhooking your tow vehicle at the entrance before securing a site as the sites are very tight and small.
Campground: Emigrant Springs
Location: 4 miles north west of Meacham, Oregon
Site: B12
Cost: $24
Services: FHU (30AMP)
Comments: An easily accessible campground directly off I-84 for quick on and off but small, tight, sites of which many are unlevel and lots of highway traffic noise.
The campground offers 18 full-hookup sites year round along with 32 dry camping sites which are closed in winter. The dry camping sites are made for tents but we saw small RVs in those sites. There is no dump station on-site and the closest dump is 7 miles northwest at Deadman’s Pass Rest Area.
The area does have nice hiking trails to help get away from the highway noise. We found the noise from the highway unbearable to be sitting outside at our site but many of our neighbors sat outside and enjoyed a campfire. Obviously, they were not talking to each other!!
We would not recommend this campground for a destination location nor for staying during the winter due to the potential need for chains going over the pass BUT in an emergency it is a great place to overnight.
Thanks for the great review on Emigrant Springs. We are new to pulling a tow vehicle behind a motor home- when you disconnected your tow vehicle before entering, did the park charge you for both the motorhome and then an additional vehicle fee for the tow? We’ve been told here in WA State that they don’t charge extra for the tow vehicle provided it is obviously set up to be a tow. And thank you for the tip to disconnect prior to entry, was there plenty of level space off the road before you entered the park? Thanks in advance!
Thank You! No, there was no additional fee for a tow vehicle. We have been to hundreds of RV Parks and campgrounds around the US and Canada and we have never been charged for the vehicle we tow. We have only had one campground that insisted that our tow vehicle be connected to our motorhome upon arrival (Palm Canyon Campground at Borrego Springs) such that we would not be charged for it but other than that we have never had an issue as it is obvious it is a tow vehicle. But that is just our experience.
When we were at Emigrant it was self registration and right next to the self registration area (which is in the park so we didn’t drive through a main gate/kiosk) was a big flat area that we could unhook at. The area was adjacent to the day use parking lot if I recall correctly. The parking area was empty when we were there so it was very easy to unhook and then take the car and drive around and look for a site. Anyone with a motorhome towing a vehicle has the same issue with finding a place to unhook so we just generally try to pull over and stay our of other vehicle’s way. Most campers are very understanding as they have the same problem.
Have fun and safe travels! -Lisa and Norm