Scenic Fall Foliage Train Rides

What better way to celebrate harvest season than with a rail escape through the fall foliage of North America? A train trip through areas with fall foliage can be a wonderful way to experience the colors and beauty of autumn. You can sit back and relax as the train calmly traverses through forests and mountains covered in fall hues. The ride is generally smooth and comfortable. Trains often have large windows, domed cars, and outdoor viewing areas that provide unobstructed, panoramic views of the autumn scenery. Trains can reach scenic wilderness spots inaccessible by most other means, allowing you to see beautiful fall displays deep in forests or canyons. You don’t have to worry about driving, stopping, or traffic on a train. You are free to fully take in the fall views. Riding vintage trains like steam trains through the fall scenery enhances the entire experience. Fall Foliage Tours 2023 and 2024 | New England Guided Tours

Here are some of the most scenic train rides in North America  Amtrak’s Adirondack

Amtrak’s Adirondack offers a scenic fall foliage train trip that makes its way from New York City through Albany and onto Montreal. The journey takes you through wine country, the Hudson River Valley, and the Adirondack Mountains. Watch the sun dance on the surface of the Western Shore of Lake Champlain. Delve into the heart of autumn with a ride on Amtrak’s Great Dome Car. The best time for fall foliage: This limited-time service operates several times weekly between September 28th and October 29th from Albany to Montreal.

Tennessee Valley Railroad

The best time for fall foliage: The railroad operates special Fall Color Excursions from late September through November to view the autumn leaves. These trips run on select weekends during peak foliage season. The most popular trips are those to the Tennessee Valley Railroad’s Grand Junction Station, a journey of about 26 miles that passes some of the most scenic fall scenery along the route. Tennessee Valley Railroad is a museum on wheels that takes you through the scenic pre-Civil War Missionary Ridge Tunnel as well as along original routes in Chattanooga. You also get the chance to train through the Cherokee National Forest and Hiwassee River Gorge. This adds to the excitement as you ascend the spiraling slopes of the mountain tops with a spectacular view of the Smoky Mountains. The railroad offers a fall photography train to capture the vivid colors along the route. This provides photographers extra time at stops. Fall months also host special events like pumpkin patches, festivals, and bonfires at stations along the Tennessee Valley Railroad’s main line.

Conway Scenic Railroad

The Conway Scenic Railroad operates several vintage trains along the Mount Washington Valley’s former Boston & Maine Railroad tracks. Popular fall foliage excursions include the Valley Train from North Conway to Conway and the Notch Train from Conway to Crawford Depot. The Valley Train passes farmland, forests, and the Saco River wrapped in vibrant fall colors during a 55-minute, 12-mile roundtrip ride. The Notch Train is a longer, 5-hour, 51-mile roundtrip into Crawford Notch for panoramic views as it passes steep ravines and mountain slopes dotted with autumn hues. Dome cars, first-class coaches, and open-air gondolas are available for optimal fall foliage viewing on the railway’s trains. Conway Scenic Railroad is known as the heritage railway in New Hampshire. It’s an inspiration with its Victorian station, vintage trains, and unbeatable views. Enjoy a scenic pass through bluffs, ravines, babbling brooks, and rail across Frankenstein Trestle and Willey Brook Bridge. 
The best time for fall foliage: Peak foliage season on the railway runs from late September through late October. The schedule is expanded during this period. Riding the vintage trains of the Conway Scenic Railroad immerses passengers in the vibrant fall colors of the White Mountains and Mt. Washington Valley.

Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express

Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express travels daily between New York City and Rutland, Vermont. It traverses scenic valleys and the Green Mountains, offering great fall color viewing. The entire trip takes about 5.5 hours each way. The most scenic portion for foliage is from Saratoga Springs to Rutland, a 2.5-hour ride. This part of the trip passes alongside the Hudson River, then through the Taconic Mountains and the Green Mountains, past small countryside farms and quaint villages as they display autumn hues. Stopping in towns along the way like Saratoga Springs, Rutland, or Middlebury allows you to explore foliage hotspots. The train travels along rivers, rolls through quaint towns, and crosses covered bridges surrounded by fall scenery. Large windows on both sides of the passenger cars allow excellent views of the fall foliage during the trip. The lounge car has additional seating with panoramic windows.
The best time for fall foliage: The peak period for fall colors on this route is usually from late September through mid-October. Special Fall Foliage scheduled trains are added to the Ethan Allen Express during peak season to accommodate demand.

Mount Washington Cog Railway

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway and the only cog east of the Rocky Mountains. It has operated since 1868, taking passengers up Mt. Washington on bio-diesel-powered trains. The Mount Washington Cog Railway’s steepest section of the railway is called Jacob’s Ladder, where the train ascends at a 37.4% grade. This area offers excellent views of the fall scenery. The railway runs from 2,700 feet at the base to over 6,200 feet at the summit, passing through several vegetation zones that provide colorful fall foliage. It winds along the White Mountain Trail, a designated National Scenic Byway, and chugs through some of the most beautiful scenery in New England. 
The best time for fall foliage: The Cog Railway operates special Fall Foliage trains throughout September and October during peak autumn colors. These take passengers up to the summit of Mt. Washington. From the summit, passengers can hike trails above the tree line to see panoramic views of the surrounding autumn-painted landscapes. Views can span Maine, Vermont, and Canada on a clear day. The brilliant red and orange hues of mountain ash, maple trees, and birch create a vibrant display visible from the railway and summit. The mountainside is ablaze with fall colors.

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has train aficionados delighting over the backdrop to this rail excursion. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad operates out of Cumberland, Maryland, using historic Western Maryland Railway equipment. It offers fall foliage excursions that travel through the mountains along the original Western Maryland Railway right-of-way. The most popular fall trip is the Potomac Eagle Excursion, which spans a 42-mile roundtrip route along the Potomac River to Frostburg. This trip passes through the steep Narrows with views of the river and mountainsides covered in autumn foliage, incredibly vibrant shades of red and orange. Scenicly glide through the Allegheny Mountains over an iron truss bridge and onto some of the most photogenic rail locales. Helmsetter’s Curve provides a half-mile horseshoe arch that allows the caboose to view the locomotive as it passes the changing leaves.
The best time for fall foliage: Peak autumn foliage viewing on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad runs from late September through late October. Special events are also offered.

Amtrak’s California Zephyr

Amtrak’s California Zephyr runs daily from Chicago to San Francisco, guiding you through the Colorado Rockies in their fall grandeur from late September until early October. The most scenic stretch for fall foliage is through Colorado, especially from Denver to Glenwood Springs. This traverses the Colorado River and the Rocky Mountains. The train passes through the Front Range and Moffat Tunnel from Denver, emerging into colorful mountain valleys and canyons. Further west, the California Zephyr follows the Colorado River through Gore and Glenwood Canyons, surrounded by vibrant orange and red autumn hues. The train traverses the continental divide, winding through canyons and climbing over mountain passes, providing views of fall foliage at different elevations. Fall journeys can be combined with stopovers in Denver, Grand Junction, or Salt Lake City to explore those foliage hotspots.
The best time for fall foliage: Peak fall foliage season on this route is usually from late September to early October. Foliage starts at higher elevations.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad serves the scenic route between Durango and Silverton, Colorado. This 100% coal-fired steam-operated train travels a track that is one of the most beautiful during autumn. This historic railroad operates vintage coal-fired steam locomotives to pull trains along the 45-mile route between Durango and Silverton. The journey passes through the San Juan National Forest, alongside the Animas River, and up steep mountain grades, surrounded by fall colors. Brilliant yellow aspens contrast with evergreen pines, with splashes of red from scrub oak and other deciduous trees at lower elevations. Further up, the train passes through colorful mountain meadows and the Rocky Mountains ablaze in golden hues of fall foliage. You’ll pass the San Juan National Forest, and the Colorado Rockies come alive with color. A stop is made halfway through the journey in Silverton, allowing time to explore the historic mining town with its surrounding autumn backdrop.
The best time for fall foliage: The peak for fall colors is typically mid-September through early October before the aspen leaves begin to drop.

Algoma Central Railroad 

Algoma Central Railroad makes the Canadian wilderness come alive as you make your way through babbling rivers, expansive canyons, and verdant forests through Ontario. Historic Algoma Central rail cars dating from the 1920s are used, adding to the nostalgic fall train ride through northern Ontario’s forests. The Autumn Foliage train travels into the Agawa Canyon, bursting with color. This path follows the early fur traders and settlers, making you fully appreciate all that inspired the explorers to continue their quest. The Algoma Central operates excursion trains along former rail lines through northern Ontario between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst. Popular fall trips include the Agawa Canyon Tour, which ventures 114 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie into remote boreal forest and river canyons. Pass over towering bridges overlooking vibrantly colored maples and larches displaying autumn hues. The train stops at spectacular Agawa Canyon for fall photo opportunities before the return trip back south. Shorter fall foliage trips, such as the 36-mile Canyon Colors Excursion through areas thick with autumn hues, are also offered along the route.
The best time for fall foliage: The peak of the fall color season on Algoma Central excursions is typically late September into early October

Amtrak’s Coast Starlight

Amtrak’s Coast Starlight is known as the most spectacular train ride in America. The Coast Starlight travels through many different terrains from Los Angeles to Seattle. The autumn season comes alive as the train passes through Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Colors dance through the Willamette Valley and onto Portland, passing through the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount Shasta. The Coast Starlight operates daily between Los Angeles and Seattle, traversing the Pacific Coast and cascades for great autumn scenery. The most scenic stretch for fall colors is through Oregon, especially from Eugene to Portland. This passes through the Willamette Valley and the Cascades. After Eugene, the train follows along the Willamette River, surrounded by orange and red-hued maple, cottonwood, and ash trees. Further north, the Coast Starlight traverses the Cascade Mountains, with vibrant alpine foliage putting on a colorful display. 
The best time for fall foliage:  Fall foliage season on this route peaks from mid-October into early November. The schedule has added trains during this period.

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