Chelatchie Prairie Railroad

Josh McNair

We came up for the train robbery ride and had a great time. My girlfriend and her two kids, 8 and 12, came up. We bought our tickets online for 6 of us. 2 people had to cancel, explained to the ticket people and they were great. They gave us the two extra tickets and said they are good for as long as they're still operating. We got on the train and opted to sit in the indoor car as it was least crowded and had padded seats. Also close to the bathroom and snacks, hah. The ride was slightly shorter than normal due to some track blockage out in the molten area but still a decent amount of time. The mock robbery was fun. The actors aren't super cheesy and seem to enjoy yelling at us in good fun. They shoot off blanks and ride horses around. We had told the girls that they will steal their "stuffies" and the actors played along with that amusingly. After that we made our way as far as we could then came back to the yacolt falls/molten falls stop where the actors were hanging out and you could walk down to the falls. They had horses available for short walk around rides for the kids. The girls for a few pictures with some of the robbers and we made the short 2 min walk down to the falls. The falls area is very nice and they have put a lot work into the stairs and a bridge. A few people made the plunge and went swimming for a minute. On the walk back up they sounded the 5 min warning horns and we reboarded for the return trip. The trip overall was quite enjoyable and relaxing. With a great friendly staff, awesome views, and good weather as we had, it made a fun outing for everyone. Once returned we checked out a new slide they installed and the military monument. They have all the flags for the different military branches including Space Force! I would recommend this if you have the time and to support the organization. They have different themed rides including a Christmas one that my girlfriend and her girls have been on before and enjoyed.

Lauren Luchterhand

This was a leap of faith for us bc I couldn’t find much info regarding logistics and it was too late at night to call. Hopefully this review will be helpful- especially to those with kids. The entire ride lasts about 2 hours. You will not get a bathroom break for 1.5hrs. At the 1.5hr mark there is a 30min break where you can hike (easy) down to the falls. After that stop- it’s about 20mins back to the station (where you started from) Snacks are available on board, but many people pack a lunch. The tunnel many people comment on lasts for upwards of 20-30 seconds. Just long enough to be pitch black for a moment or two. It can get chilly- bundle up and bring a blanket. We really had a lovely time with our 3yo! However would not recommend if your child likes to run around constantly or cannot deal with loud noises.

Mack Pines

Beautiful ride! Train is mainly diesel powered but occasionally the steam engine is used on runs. Train goes through a 300 foot tunnel and crosses a large bridge over the Lewis River. Regular excursions go either to Lucia or Wall. About 6 miles one way. Train stops at Moulton Falls on the way back to Yacolt. If you love trains and history, you will have an awesome time!

Mary Rowland

My cousins took me for the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad tour and we had the greatest time. The ride was really fun and the scenery was just awesome. We boarded the train and our conductor who was a woman punched our tickets and told us to hang on to them as thyroid went on she came around and was telling us about the scenery and what we were looking at and then also told us that our tickets would get us into the winery here to do a wine tasting events after the train right which was absolutely awesome we rode down to the winery and we got to pick three different wines cider or beer to taste. It's a very nice atmosphere in there and they also serve food along with their wine beer and cider I suggest it be a place to try out. Had a great time on the ride if you're in this area it's a definite event you might want to try out. Sincerely Mary