Courtesy Great Smoky Mountains RailroadViewing fall foliage on a train ride can add a sense of excitement to enjoying the reds, oranges and yellows of autumn. Also, routes through valleys and past waterfalls often take you to vistas that you can’t reach by automobiles — and you don’t have to worry about getting lost.
Here are some train rides that combine the nostalgia of rail travel with great fall scenery.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Bryson City, N.C.
Built by convicts with the threat of a gun to motivate them, the Murphy Branch of the Western North Carolina Railroad originally transported thousands of mountaineers from their isolated mountain dwellings to the rest of the world. The route lies near the south side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and runs through two tunnels and over 25 bridges.
“We are minutes from the park and the Blue Ridge Parkway,” said Michelle McCain, marketing manager for the railroad. “You can see bald eagles and deer. The very first time I rode on the train, I saw a bald eagle.”
As the 53-mile ride chugs past brilliant fall colors in October, a narrator points out wildlife and historic landmarks like the 836-foot-long Cowee Tunnel. Breathtaking views can be seen on the ride, as the train reaches 3,100 feet, which was the highest elevation of any railroad in the eastern United States at the time it was built.
While admiring the fall colors of 125 varieties of trees, movie fans might feel déjà vu, as movies like The Fugitive, My Fellow Americans and Forces of Nature featured the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
The 1930s art-deco railcars run two excursions with different views. The Nantahala Gorge Excursion’s scenery features the Smokies, the Nantahala River Gorge and the Nantahala River. The Tuckasegee Excursion showcases the historic Cowee Tunnel, The Fugitive film site and the charming village of Dillsboro for a one-and-a-half-hour layover for shopping and dining.
Other special events like mystery dinners, wine tastings and Oktoberfest also keep things interesting at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
“It’s the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th anniversary, so that’s a big deal,” said McCain. “We have many events surrounding the celebration, such as Railfest in September.”
Mount Rainier Scenic Railway
Elbe, Wash.
With snow-capped Mount Rainier standing majestically in the distance, the Mount Rainier Scenic Railway blows its whistle to announce another departure through the Cascade Mountains. The train remains the longest continuously operating steam train railroad in the Pacific Northwest.
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| Courtesy Washington State Tourism |
Preserved mainly through the passion of rail enthusiast Tom Murray Jr., the original timber route closed in 1980, although a portion of the line remained opened for a tourist train service. Murray’s plea to keep the route has enabled the steam trains to continue to run through the Cascade Mountains for 30 years.
“The train runs through forested areas of wilderness to right on Mineral Lake, where people can get off, look around or have a picnic at our picnic area,” said Nancy Lawton, administrative assistant for the railway. “Many people choose to stay at Mineral Lake and wait for a later train if they don’t want to reboard after half an hour.”
A popular time to ride the rails is late September through October, when the seasonal color comes to many of the Pacific Northwestern trees.
One particularly stunning view of Mount Rainier appears when the train crosses the route’s newly restored bridge. This year, the Elbe Train Depot reopened after three years of repairs and construction on the bridge, so passengers can once again ride the original scenic route.
Groups can purchase snacks or concessions on board or bring their own packaged lunch to enjoy while riding or at Mineral Lake. To learn more about the lumber history of the region, the Museum and Restoration Shop, just minutes from the depot, features vintage equipment from the bygone train era.
Catskill Mountain Railroad
Kingston, N.Y.
The Catskill Mountain Railroad originally took vacationers out of the hustle and bustle of New York City into the Catskills, only to rush back with milk, lumber and bluestone for the city’s sidewalks. This arrangement kept the Catskill Mountain tourism traffic coming to its famous boarding houses and grand hotels and brought in money by providing New York City with imports it needed.
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| Courtesy Catskill Mountain Railroad |
Today, visitors recognize the route’s scenic value in a 12-mile roundtrip from Mount Tremper to Phoenicia to Boiceville and back. Vintage coaches and panoramic open cars ensure a comfortable way to see vistas that can’t be seen by automobile.
“Having ridden a lot of railroads in my time, we have some great scenery here with the Catskill Mountains,” said Harry Jameson, marketing manager and chairman of the railroad. “At fall foliage time, you couldn’t ask for better scenery than here. The mountains explode with colors. It’s a very remote setting. You not only see trees, a creek and mountains, but also blue herons, beavers and fishermen.”
The area’s peak fall foliage season in October also marks the busiest month for the railroad.
After winding around the mountains with narration illuminating the significance of the train’s surroundings, guests can visit the Empire State Railway Museum in Phoenicia. This stop on the trip allows passengers to learn about the route’s heyday in the late 1880s through the 1940s.
Rotating exhibits and three antique railway cars from the early 20th century also paint a picture of the time when trains were the only way to reach the Catskills.
Pikes Peak Cog Railway
Manitou Springs, Colo.
Up, up, up to the top of the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak climbs the world’s highest cog railroad: the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. After riding a mule for two days up the dramatically steep mountain, Zalmon Simmons decided to fund a railway to the summit so viewers could experience a more comfortable ride to the top.
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| Courtesy Colorado Springs CVB |
Still a favorite way to scale Pikes Peak, the narrated cog railway train ride departs Manitou Springs for a three-hour, 10-minute roundtrip ride. Colorado typically turns golden the last two weeks of September and the first two weeks in October from all the high-altitude stands of aspen, making fall foliage season a popular time to visit.
Bristlecone pines more than 2,000 years old, Engelmann spruce, Colorado blue spruce and Ponderosa pines also grow on Pikes Peak, for impressive tree diversity.
“Not only will they see different kinds of foliage, but they will also see different kinds of wildlife while they are on the train,” said Bob Yager, ticket agent for the railway. “They could see bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, bears or yellow-bellied marmots.”
Able to climb more dramatic inclines than a regular train, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway allows passengers to gaze out the panoramic windows while the train ascends the 8.9-mile track.
At the summit, guests can walk around to see the dropoffs and far-reaching vistas of the Great Plains, the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range and the skyscrapers of downtown Denver. Groups can grab a meal on board or eat at the Summit House restaurant for a meal with a view.
www.cograilway.com
Branson Scenic Railway
Branson, Mo.
Blasting through mountains of solid rock and building trestles over deep valleys, construction workers who were paid less than $2 a day carved out the only route through the Ozarks at the time. The same 1905 path that originally helped make Branson a tourist destination now continues to entertain vacationers by showing the untamed side of Branson on a narrated 40-mile train trip.
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| Courtesy Branson Scenic Railway |
Fall leaf-seekers can admire the bold colors that come to the Ozarks typically from the 10th through the 20th of October.
“We have lots of different kinds of trees that turn into an array of bright colors in the fall,” said Illa Kamp, vice president and general manager of the railway. “Alongside the green cedar and pine trees, it makes for very scenic views. Most of the area through which we travel is inaccessible by car.”
Passengers learn the meaning of train car luxury in refurbished vintage cars designed to convey the elegance of first-class travel in the early 20th century. While the sights go by, groups can eat in the train’s concession area or book a four-course candlelight meal on one of the dinner trains, which mimic the ambience experienced by 1950s dining passengers.
Even the conductors don’t know which of the two possible directions the train will go, due to other freight train traffic in the area. The northern route extends to Galena, Mo., and the James River Valley; the southern route winds down into Arkansas and the Barren Fork Trestle.
“There are tons of things to do around the depot,” said Kamp. “We are right in the heart of the old and new. We have old downtown Branson just west of us, with little cafes, shops and old-fashioned five-and-dime stores. East of us, we have the Branson Landing with all the current shops.”
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Three more scenic fall train rides
