Emigrant Springs State Park ~ Oregon

Flickr album link: Emigrant Springs State Park

Emigrant Springs State Park is conveniently located on Interstate Highway 84 between La Grande and Pendleton, Oregon. This location is a good jumping off point for adventures in this region, so this state park is a nice choice for setting up a basecamp. A campground with full hook up RV slips and modern facilities is located onsite and there is a horse camp located next door. This campground is a popular place to be during the warm seasons, so using the state park reservation system is recommended.

Other than camping, the Emigrant Springs State Park is basically a roadside day use area that offers a nature trail and plenty of pioneer history. Several interpretive sites, kiosks and placards can be found in the open areas, so a wealth of historic pioneer information is available. The day use area is equipped with basic facilities, picnic tables and chargrills, while there are plenty of shade trees for lazing the day away.

On downside, because this park is located next to a desolate stretch of highway, it serves as a rest area for both humans and pets. As a result, the picnic area is basically a dog poo minefield, since relatively few travelers clean up their pet's mess. With this in mind, it is best to to watch one's own step when checking out this park and it makes it difficult to recommend. However, the campground is separate from the day use area, so the dog litter problem does not affect this area. For this reason, only the campground and perusing the historic interpretive sites at Emigrant Springs State Park get a thumbs up!  
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