Disclosure: This experience was provided free of charge; all opinions are my own.
When traveling in California, it is a blast to stumble on unique places like this resort in the Dunsmuir / Mt. Shasta area. All of the rooms are caboose train cars that have been turned into full-fledged hotel rooms with a bed, heater, table, TV, and bathroom with shower. If you have young kids, then it’s a fantastic spot, but even if you don’t, I still loved my time staying in a train car at the Railroad Park Resort. Here is all the information.
Details
- Most rooms are around $145
- Open year round
- Dining car for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Location: 100 Railroad Park Rd, Dunsmuir, CA 96025
- This information was from my visit in 2018
- Read about all of my favorite spots in Siskiyou County here
Getting There
Heading either north or south on Highway 5, the resort is located off the Railroad Park Road / Crag View Drive. It is pretty much right off the freeway on the west side, and you will see a sign as you get off, directing you to the resort. You can park right in front of your train car.
Video
The Hotel
As a huge fan of trains, I was incredibly excited to stay here. It’s one of the most unique hotels I have visited during my time exploring California, and they have been open since 1968.
There are a bunch of trains on the property, not just the ones that you stay in, but the dining cars and an old engine that you can climb on in front.
We climbed up into the steam driven locomotive before checking in and getting the key for caboose #25 in the back part of the park.
It was a beautiful spot as you could see the Castle Crags peaking out above the trees behind our train car.
We walked around the property, and there was a pool and even a communal fire pit on the east side that you can use.
Our Room
Our train car was large and had a king size bed, table with chairs, TV and a full bathroom.
I was especially impressed that they could fit a bathroom with a tub and shower in the train car, and it never felt too cramped.
The highlight though, was the cupola seating in the front of the room, which was accessed via a small ladder and which provided an excellent spot to sit and drink coffee in the morning while looking out on the property.
Even though we went in the winter, the heater worked well, and we stayed warm during the night. I will say that the room doesn’t hold the heat too well, so we had the heater running most of the night.
While dinner is one of their specialties, we only got a chance to try the breakfast. It was a beautiful, quiet morning, and I loved how even the restaurant was in a train car, as it added to the fun of the resort. This car is from the late 1800s as well.
The breakfast was excellent, just a standard omelet and hashbrowns but done well, and the service was excellent also. I imagine during the summer this place is probably pretty busy, but there were only a few other people with us there in the winter.
The resort proved to be a good home base for 24 hours exploring the area as it was close to some of my favorite spots, including Hedge Creek Falls, Yaks on the 5, and Mt Shasta.
Check it out if you get a chance, especially if you are traveling with young children and let me know what you think in the comments.
