Is Echo, Utah, the best railfan rest stop in America?

On the morning of July 31, we witness a westbound stack train glide through Echo Canyon a few hundred feet below the I-80 rest area.

Perched high on a hillside on a lonely but breathtakingly beautiful stretch of Interstate 80 just outside of Echo, Utah, must be the best rest stop in America — for railfans. With a sweeping view of the rough red sandstone cliffs of Echo Canyon, frequent trains on Union Pacific’s original transcontinental railroad, and convenient benches under sunshades, this location has almost everything a railfan could need.

Located about 46 miles east of Ogden, Utah, and about 30 miles west of Evanston, Wyo., the rest stop on the westbound interstate is the ideal perch to watch a busy mainline that sees 50-60 trains per day (and interestingly, about 14,000 vehicles per day on the four-lane). I spent a few days photographing mainline action in this region during the Union Pacific Historical Society’s annual meeting in Ogden. I enjoyed photographing trains in scenic Weber Canyon and near the top of the rugged Wasatch grade (original Big Boy territory), but the visit cemented my opinion that the I-80 West rest stop, built about 1990 to replace an earlier rest area, is a real but unremarked gift to those of us who enjoy big-time railroad action in a dramatic setting.

Looking West from the photographer's perch at the Echo Canyon rest area, we see the westbound stack train meeting an eastbound grain train. That's I-80 on the left and the start of Weber Canyon in the distance.

The rest stop, located at exit 170, actually offers three vantage points: Two formal ones with sidewalks, benches, and pavilions that provide views directly ahead and to the east; and a third one atop a hill that is accessible via a steep dirt trail and offers a view to the west.

During the visit, I shared the hillside overlook with members of the Union Pacific Historical Society, including Marc Entze, who edits the organization’s The Streamliner magazine. Here’s Marc’s assessment of the location: “It provides fantastic access to one of the most iconic locations on the transcontinental railroad. No special access to property, railroad or private, is required. In so many other locations the Interstate has taken away from scenic qualities and made photography extremely difficult (Glennwood Canyon on I-70 in Colorado comes to mind). The freeway does detract in Echo Canyon, but at the rest area it makes accessing a great photo opportunity easy for everyone. Prior to the freeway a photographer would have to cross the creek and hike up a hill; now one just strolls a short distance from the car.”

You can still drive the old road, Echo Canyon Road (itself historic as part of the Lincoln Highway), that closely parallels the double-tracked main line between Echo and Emory, but you’re trapped on the west side of the tracks. Thanks to curves you can shoot across the arc to the sunny side in the morning, but most of the shots are definitely nosey and in your face, and it’s hard to feature the canyon’s red rocks unless you have an exceptionally wide-angle lens (a 10-24mm lens came in handy during my visit).

With magnificent sandstone cliffs for a dramatic backdrop, the eastbound UP grain train rolls through Echo Canyon.

A few practical tips to visit this spot:

1. This one is really important: You can’t reach this rest area traveling eastbound. The only access is westbound. If you are on I-80 east, go past the Echo Canyon rest area about 7 miles to the Castle Rock Exit (itself a great place to view the paired mainline tracks climbing toward the summit at Wahsatch, Utah), and turn around. It’s an extra drive, but you’re within sight of the tracks the whole way.  

2. Go in the morning for the best sun for photography; in the afternoon, the sun sets behind the cliffs.

3. Bring food. The rest area has snacks but if you want more than chips and soda, then you’ll need to travel. Subway has sandwich restaurants a few miles away in Morgan, Utah, and Evanston, Wyo., but the real find is Taggart’s Grill at Exit 108 (near Morgan), which is a true hidden gem that is easy to miss tucked into a hillside. (Be sure to try the 1/3 pound burger with the fry dipping sauce.)

As the grain train proceeds east, you can see the formal overlook at the Echo Canyon rest stop.

So there it is. Go and enjoy this, my nomination for the best railfan rest stop in America. While you’re there enjoying the view and watching stack, grain, auto, merchandise, or coal trains rolling along, keep this in mind from the Union Pacific Historical Society’s Marc Entze: “Those magnificent sandstone cliffs have endured while the power going by has shifted from 1860s 4-4-0s to 1940s Big Boys to today’s big six-axle GEs. One would like to think that since the area is developed as a public space it will continue to provide railroad photographers with a scenic vista for generations to come.” 

Amen to that, and thanks Utah Department of Transportation for this treat.