Eagle Cap Excursion Train announces 2026 season in Elgin, reservations open

In Elgin, the nonprofit Friends of the Joseph Branch announced reservations are open and the Eagle Cap Excursion Train will launch its 2026 season with the traditional Mother’s Day Brunch ride on Sunday, May 10, 2026. The operator says the season comprises 22 scheduled rides running from May through October and that every trip will depart and return to the Elgin train depot.

Ticketing is available now through the train’s online booking service, by phone at 541-437-3652, or by contacting the operator’s ticket address. The Eagle Cap Train Rides site posted its season announcement on January 31, 2026 under the headline "2026 Season Schedule Announced," noting reservations were available "beginning this week" through the ticket agent.

The railroad is run entirely by volunteers and is owned by a partnership between Wallowa and Union counties. "The all-volunteer crew includes certified engineers and conductors and car hosts trained in customer service. All are members of the Friends of the Joseph Branch," the operating group noted in publicity for the season.

The route follows the banks of the Grande Ronde River into mostly roadless country, offering views of timbered ridges, rippling water and basalt cliffs, according to the season summary. Most trips travel to Rondowa, where the Grande Ronde is joined by the Wallowa River, then continue along varying stretches of the Wallowa before reversing course and returning to Elgin.

Most rides will include lunch served during the trip, while a couple of shorter rides are listed for passengers seeking a briefer excursion. Longer "Minam Bonus" rides will cover more miles along the Wallowa River and include an outdoor lunch stop at the Minam Store & Food Truck, tying the excursion schedule to a local business stop in the Minam area.

Family-oriented entertainment is part of the 2026 calendar: the schedule includes four staged robberies enacted by the High Country Outlaws, and Bigfoot appearances are set for May 30 and August 1, 2026. Those themed events supplement the regular dining and scenic offerings and are listed among the 22 rides on the announcement.

The January 31 site archive preserves past season items as well, including a 2025 Mother’s Day Brunch post and a October 13, 2025 "Train Season About to End" notice, underscoring the excursion’s continuity as a seasonal attraction. With a 22-ride schedule, volunteer crews, county ownership and commercial tie-ins such as the Minam Store & Food Truck, the Eagle Cap Excursion Train’s 2026 timetable positions the Elgin depot as a focal point for spring through fall tourism across Union and Wallowa counties.