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Hop on These 16 Train Tours to See Stunning Fall Foliage

From Maine to Oregon, trains take you to hidden color sanctuaries

By

Sheryl Jean and Bobbi Dempsey,

 
AARP
Published September 08, 2023
/ Updated September 12, 2024
fall foliage surrounding the mount washington cog railway in new hampshire
The Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire takes you to the 6,288-foot summit of Mount Washington.
Mount Washington Cog Railway

Cooler weather brings autumn colors galore. And one of the most popular fall pastimes is to take a trip to view the changing leaves.

According to the AARP 2024 Travel Trends report, most travelers 50-plus who plan to travel by air this year have concerns about cancellations and other airline issues. Train travel offers an alternative that’s often more affordable, without the hassle of crowded airports or flight delays. Trains are also a great way to see off-the-beaten-path destinations, which 23 percent of travelers 50-plus say they are more likely to visit in 2024. Fall foliage tours are often just a few hours, so they are easy to fit into a busy schedule. Though New England grabs the most attention, you’ll find plenty of other festive foliage shows around the country.

Make the most of the short leaf-turning season by ditching your car to ride the rails — from Maine to Arkansas to Oregon — to see fall colors in hidden areas not easily accessible otherwise.

You’ll find fall foliage train tours and other special excursions in many states. We’ve assembled some of the best options for a day trip or weekend getaway. Check the Farmers’ Almanac for dates of peak foliage nationwide.

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New England
Northeast
Upper Midwest
The South
The West

New England

a biodiesel locomotive driving through a yellow autumn forest on the mount washington cog railway
The train ride is a three-hour round trip on a biodiesel locomotive.
Mount Washington Cog Railway

Train: Mount Washington Cog Railway, Mount Washington, New Hampshire

When: Steam trains run through Sept. 27; biodiesel trains run through Oct. 20.

Known as one of New England’s best fall train rides, the route from Marshfield Base Station to Mount Washington’s 6,288-foot summit provides stunning views of the highest peak in the Northeast.

Tourists have been riding the Cog since 1869 to see fall colors and experience hair-rising climbs and descents on grades averaging 25 percent. The round trip takes three hours on a biodiesel locomotive (adults starting at $79) or steam train ($94). Don’t forget to snap a photo at the famous Mount Washington Summit sign.

Train: Railroad Museum of New England’s Naugatuck Railroad, Thomaston, Connecticut

When: Oct. 4, 11, and 16-18

The Naugatuck Railroad’s 20-mile, 90-minute Autumn Colors Limited train ride travels through some of the best fall foliage in northwestern Connecticut. The railway follows the Naugatuck River and crosses the 142-foot-high Thomaston Dam. Tickets start at $24 for adults and $22 for people age 65-plus.

Over three weekends, Oct. 5-6, Oct. 12-13 and Oct. 19-20, there’s an 80-minute Pumpkin Patch Express, which stops at a pumpkin field. Tickets start at $22 for adults, $21 for those 65-plus.

Train: Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, Unity, Maine

When: Sept. 25, 28, 29 and Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 2-19

Fall may be the best time to visit Maine, when the birch, maple, oak and elm trees turn brilliant yellow, orange and red. The Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad offers three train tours to view those colors. Its one-hour Fall Foliage Train Ride costs $23 for adults. A 90-minute extended fall tour (adults $33), which is offered on only four dates, travels along Unity Pond and through woods and bogs. An up-to-90-minute Pumpkin Express (adults $25) operates only Oct. 19-20.

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Northeast

https://aarp.widen.net/content/u8nvrrk5f4/png/CMRR%20Fall%20Foliage%5B40%5D.png_master.png?crop=true&anchor=18,357&color=ffffffff&u=2xkwh0&w=2017&h=1159
The Catskill Mountain Railroad’s Fall Adventure Trains tour is an 8-mile trip in New York.
Catskill Mountain Railroad

Train: Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania  

When: Daily through Nov. 10 for open-air car; standard car through Nov. 27; certain trains only run through Sept. 22

Pennsylvania is famous for its fall foliage, and this route going around the Jim Thorpe region of the Poconos provides an opportunity to see an abundance of vibrant colors plus mountain vistas and wildlife. During the narrated, 16-mile, 70-minute ride, you will travel along the curves of the Lehigh River. Depending on the date of your trip, you may be able to choose from an open-air car, a standard coach (many of which were built in the 1930s by Bethlehem Steel), a first-class lounge car, the crown-class car or the vista-class dome car. Tickets start at $22 for adults for a standard coach seat. 

From Oct. 1 through Nov. 3, there’s a 45-minute autumn leaf tour. Tickets aren’t sold in advance and must be purchased on the same day, in person, at the ticket booth in Jim Thorpe on a first-come, first-served basis.

Train: Catskill Mountain Railroad, Kingston, New York

When: The Fall Foliage Adventure is on selected dates (mainly weekends) through Oct. 14; Pumpkin Express runs Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-27.

Some of the Catskill Mountain Railroad’s tracks date back more than 150 years, so passengers travel routes with plenty of rich history. The volunteer-run railroad’s Fall Adventure Trains (adults $18; discounted rate of $17 for people 65-plus and military/veterans) take you on an 8-mile, 75-minute trip via Ulster County’s only scenic train. Choose from seating on open-air flatcars or standard coaches.

For two weekends (Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-27), the railroad runs a Pumpkin Express tour (adults $23; $21 for people 65-plus and military/veterans), on which passengers can pick out a pumpkin to take home with them. 

 

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Upper Midwest

passengers sitting in an open-air car on the lake superior and mississippi railroad
Passengers seated in a Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad open-air car may see deer, eagles, loons and other wildlife in Minnesota.
Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad

Train: Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad, Duluth, Minnesota

When: Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 13

Fall colors abound on this nonprofit, volunteer-run railroad’s Duluth River Train, which resumed service in 2023 after closing in 2020 for the pandemic and cleanup of a nearby U.S. Steel Superfund site.

The 13-mile round-trip train ride travels through woods and over Mud Lake Causeway. Passengers seated in 100-year-old coaches or an open-air car may see deer, eagles, loons and other wildlife. Adult tickets cost $20, but it’s free for active-duty military and veterans on Sundays.

Train: Black Hills Central Railroad’s 1880 Train, Hill City and Keystone, South Dakota

When: Through Oct. 13

Black Hills Central Railroad offers two rides on a refurbished vintage steam train to view the golden leaves of birch and aspen trees mixed with pine and spruce in western South Dakota. Passengers can see mountains, rock formations and historic structures as the train travels through national forest land and along old mining routes.

The standard narrated trip (adults $39) between Hill City and Keystone takes 135 minutes. An Oktoberfest train ride ($69), with beer, food and entertainment, will run Sept. 28.

Train: Coopersville and Marne Railway, Coopersville, Michigan

When: Weekends in October

Take the slow route and bring the grandchildren on a vintage train to see the fall colors and pick a pumpkin in western Michigan. The 14-mile, 90-minute round-trip Coopersville and Marne Railway’s family-friendly Pumpkin Train passes creeks, fields and farms at about 10 mph.

The volunteer-run train features renovated coaches from the 1920s, including one converted for accessibility. The movie Biloxi Blues featured coaches No. 1 and 2, says Andrea Ott, a volunteer with Friends of the Coopersville and Marne Railway. Assigned seats cost $35 to $45 for adults.

One person can pay $65 to ride in the locomotive jump seat. This year, an Oktoberfest train will run on selected dates in October. Tickets — selling out quickly — are available for passengers 21 and older for $55. Two drinks are included on the ride.

 

 

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The South

the blue ridge scenic railway in the fall through the chattahoochee national forest
The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway trip through Georgia travels through the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Rachal Gray

Train: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Blue Ridge, Georgia

When: Thursdays-Mondays, Sept. 19–Nov. 5

On this railway’s fall foliage tours in Appalachia, hosts narrate the local history in open-air cars or interior coaches as the train travels along the winding Toccoa River, through rolling hills and the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Choose a two-hour train ride or four-hour trip that includes a two-hour stop in the twin towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. Adult tickets cost $59.99 to $74.99, or $56.99 to $69.99 if you’re 65-plus. Premier pricing on the four-hour trip is $119.99 for adults and $114.99 for those 65-plus. Premier isn’t available on the two-hour ride.

Train: Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, Springdale and Van Buren, Arkansas

When: Various days, Oct. 2–Nov. 16

Red and orange leaves abound on fall train rides through the Boston Mountains, the highest in the Ozarks in northwestern Arkansas. Ride in comfort in a refurbished 1920s coach, a 1950s café-style or parlor car, or a 1940s Silver Feather glass-domed car as conductors narrate the journey over a 125-foot trestle and through the 1,700-foot Winslow Tunnel.

For the most bang for your buck, take the eight-hour, 134-mile trip from Springdale to Van Buren, which includes a three-hour stop in the quaint town of Van Buren (adults $90 to $127). Discounted tickets are available for adults 65-plus and veterans, and AAA and AARP members get a 10 percent discount. There are other train rides, too.

Train: Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin and Cass, West Virginia

When: Various days through Nov. 10

All four of this railroad’s fall excursions offer fantastic foliage. The Cass Bald Knob Trip, Cass Whittaker Station trip, New Tygart Flyer and Greenbrier Express range from two to 5½ hours. Adult tickets cost $61 to $81, less for people 65-plus and veterans.

The 8-mile, two-hour-plus Whittaker round-trip train climbs 10 percent grades up Cheat Mountain and zigzags through two of the nation’s few remaining rail switchbacks, including the highest noncog railroad east of the Rocky Mountains. 

Train: Tennessee Valley Railroad, Chattanooga, Tennessee

When: Selected Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 3

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum runs old-fashioned train cars — many of which were donated by railroad companies that replaced the traditional cars with more modern options — that travel along a historic route dating back to the mid-1800s, when the region became a hub for train transportation. 

To really feel like you’ve traveled back in time, try the Summerville Steam Special. Passengers ride a steam-powered train on a nine-hour trip from Chattanooga to the picturesque town of Summerville, Georgia, enjoying the fall colors along the way. Rates start at $105 for an open-window coach car ticket that includes lunch and admission to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum property and exhibits. 

 

 

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The West

the historic georgetown loop railroad in colorado
The Georgetown Loop Railroad in Colorado travels on a 3-foot narrow gauge railroad built in 1884.
Efrain Padro / Alamy Stock Photo

Train: Georgetown Loop Railroad, Georgetown, Colorado

When: Various days through Oct. 20

Colorado is famous for its aspens. The Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Fall Colors Train and two other options let you see the trees in their bright yellow glory. Trains travel on a 3-foot narrow gauge railroad built in 1884.

The Autumnfest Train ($189 for a four-person table, with beer samples from a local brewery) and the Pumpkin Fest Train run on certain dates in October. The Fall Colors and Pumpkin Fest trains cost $38 per adult. People 65-plus get a $2 discount but must call 888-456-6777.

Train: Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, Elbe, Washington

When: September and October weekends

The Pacific Northwest has colors, too. The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad resumed regular steam excursions last fall for the first time since 2019. The 75-minute, 12-mile round-trip train (adults $34) travels through mountains, farmland and forest between Elbe, about 90 minutes south of Seattle, and Mineral. You might see deer or elk. For the last two weekends in October, the Family Halloween Train (adults $38) will run, and passengers are encouraged to wear costumes.

Train: Verde Canyon Railroad, Clarkdale, Arizona

When: Various dates through November for best fall colors

The railroad’s Fall Colors Tour takes you through Verde Canyon, where you’ll see red rock cliffs, the sparkling clear water of the Verde River and the ghost town of Perkinsville. The 20-mile trip takes around four hours. Tickets start at $109 for adults and include complimentary appetizers. A portion of all train ticket revenue is donated to Liberty Wildlife’s raptor rescue program. AAA, AARP and retired and active-duty military members are eligible for a 10 percent discount when booking directly with Verde Canyon Railroad.

On selected dates in September and October, the railroad offers a special Ales on Rails experience ($155 for adults 21 and older), which includes a champagne toast, samplings of a variety of local beers and lunch on the patio before the trip. 

Train: Oregon Scenic Coastal Railroad, Wheeler, Oregon

When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 28–Nov. 18

This railroad offers the unique experience of seeing fall colors along the Pacific Ocean on Oregon’s Tillamook Coast, less than two hours from Portland. Choose open, covered or historic train cars for the 90-minute round-trip ride. The Fall Splendor Excursion costs $30 per adult or $25 for passengers 55-plus and veterans.

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Sheryl Jean is a contributing writer who covers aging, business, technology, travel, health and human-interest stories. A former reporter for several daily metropolitan newspapers, her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune and The Dallas Morning News and on the American Heart Association’s website.
 


Bobbi Dempsey is a freelance writer who has written about a variety of topics, including health and entertainment, for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine. Her work has also appeared in Parade, The New York Times, Harper’s and other outlets.

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