I keep returning to the Fat Trout Trailer Park as seen in David Lynch’s 1992 masterpiece Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The film’s first 35 minutes has mesmerized me for decades now. While I have previously discussed the entire Fat Trout Trailer Park location, this time I’m diving deeper into individual shots from this location. We start with the view of Teresa Banks’ trailer from Carl Rodd’s home.
WHERE IS THE VIEW FROM CARL RODD’S TRAILER LOCATED?
The Fat Trout Trailer Park scenes were shot at the now demolished Riverside Mobile Home Park located at 39531 SE Park Street in Snoqualmie, Washington. The approximate coordinates are 47°31’33.4″N 121°48’48.2″W. The map above shows the approximate locations where scenes were shot.
Today, the location is an empty field. For years, the nearby Snoqualmie River flooded the trailer park. In November 2009, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) gave $1.1M in funding to permanently relocate the residents of the mobile home park. The 20 mobile homes and other structures would be demolished, and the area would be converted to open space.
Total cost of the project was $1.4M to which FEMA contributed 75-percent. By early February 2011, the final structures at the site were torn down.
SHOOTING THE SCENE AT CARL RODD’S TRAILER
According to the official shooting diary by Charlotte Fraisse, the scenes at the Fat Trout Trailer Park were most likely shot in early September 1991. Kyle MacLachlan appears to have been in the area on September 3, with the first official day of shooting on September 4.
On September 5, Charlotte describes Lynch’s directorial style but there is no reference to which specific scenes were being shot:
“David is calm and kindly, as heedful of the actors’ performances as of the quality of sound. He follows the shooting sitting in front of a small video monitor. He often uses two cameras and prints a lot of takes that give him a wide range of possibilities for editing.”
We know Kyle appears at the Fat Trout Trailer Park and by Wind River which was shot at Olallie State Park outside of North Bend, Washington. So I’m assuming his scenes were shot early on, which means the trailer park scenes were also most likely captured first.
FBI AGENTS ARRIVE AT CARL RODD’S TRAILER
There are two specific shots I’m focusing on for this story – the view from Carl Rodd’s trailer with Teresa Banks’ blue trailer in the distance. The first time we see this view is when FBI Agents Chet Desmond and Sam Stanley first arrive at the Fat Trout.
Interestingly, the script by David Lynch and Bob Engles dated August 8, 1991 listed this community as the Canyon Trailer Court, not the Fat Trout Tailer Park.
EXT. CANYON TRAILER COURT – DAWN
Desmond and Stanley drive thru to the manager’s trailer which is surrounded by a small white picket fence. They park and step to the trailer. Desmond knocks twice on the door. From inside they hear a voice that makes Cole’s voice sound like a whisper.
Long-time Twin Peaks fan Jared Lyon snapped this photo of the former Riverside Mobile Home Park in August 2003 during the Twin Peaks Fan Festival. It offers a similar view from the theatrical release.
By the time I returned to the location in September 2019, everything was gone except for the trees.
It looks like some of those trees, particularly the one on the far left, were also seen in the movie.
VIEW OF TERESA BANKS’ TRAILER
The second time we see a similar view is when Carl Rodd stands on Teresa Banks’ porch while the FBI Agents examine her trailer.
The script from August 1991 does not specifically mention this scene, only that Carl leans into the trailer to ask if the Agents want a cup of Good Morning America.
When David Lynch released the incredible Twin Peaks Archive music tracks, a similar publicity shot was included. It’s a similar angle to the theatrical image but we can see more of the front of the blue car.
Charles from the former InTwinPeaks.com shared this photo of the location in the late 2000s.
The area is still empty as seen in this photo from February 2023 taken during the Real Twin Peaks event in Snoqualmie Valley.
What I would give to travel back to 1991 to see this location in all its glory.
