A fall foliage train ventures across the Conway Scenic Railroad's famous Frankenstein Trestle. © Conway Scenic Railroad Trainspotters and leaf peepers agree. A fall foliage train ride is the best way to experience the year’s most colorful season. When it comes to autumn activities, fall foliage train rides offer something for everybody. Grown-ups get to enjoy the fall colors while the kids enjoy the ride, and nobody gets stuck behind the wheel watching traffic instead of the scenery. What’s more, many fall foliage train rides offer extras like engineer-for-a-day cab rides, on-board dining, and visits to a pumpkin patch!
New England
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat hosts popular foliage excursions. ©Jody Dole | Connecticut Office of Tourism New England ‘s woodlands belong on every leaf peeper’s bucket list. For many, New Hampshire’s seasonal color show sets the standard by which all other foliage destinations are ranked. The state is home to an array of fall foliage train rides. With bird’s eye views of autumn-drenched White Mountains wilderness, the Mount Washington Cog Railway and Conway Scenic Railroad are among the best. More readily accessible from big cities like New York and Boston, Connecticut’s Essex Steam Train & Riverboat takes foliage chasers on a one-of-a-kind atumn experience.
Mid Atlantic
The Catskill Mountain Railroad’s Fall Flyer rolls through Upstate New York color. © Catskill Mountain Railroad Mid Atlantic region – where American railroading was born — boasts the most fall foliage train rides in the country. Color-tracking opportunities abound across Pennsylvania from the New Hope Railroad ‘s leaf spotter excursions through the hills and valleys of Bucks County to the West Chester Railroad ‘s Fall Foliage Express rides along its 19c heritage route. In Upstate New York, the Hudson Valley and scenic Catskill Mountains form the backdrop for the Catskill Mountain Railroads Railroad ‘s Fall Foliage Adventure.
Southern USA
A Tennessee Valley Railroad excursion through the Cherokee National Forest is a leaf-peeper’s delight. © Tennessee Valley Railroad Southern USA hold their own against more famous northern counterparts. Along and beyond the Appalachian Range, brilliant bursts of orange, yellow, and red highlight classic rail adventures. Catch autumn’s nip in an open-air gondola aboard North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountain Railroad or enjoy fall’s panorama from the dome car of the Tennessee Valley Railroad . To the north, crimson ash berries add unique dabs of color to the Cass Scenic Railroad ‘s Allegheny Mountain runs through its namesake West Virginia State Park.
Midwest USA
Fall Flyer excursions highlight autumn hues along Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad route. © Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Midwest USA into one of the nation’s most popular regions to experience the colors of fall. The season comes early to Lake Superior’s northern shore and Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Railroad is at the ready with Fall Color Train Tours starting in September. Across the lake, the Tahquamenon Falls Tours tracks down the best foliage aboard Toonerville Trolley/Boat expeditions through the Upper Michigan wilderness. The Wilderness Society counts Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park among the best national parks for foliage viewing and calls the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad the park’s best-kept secret. Bursts of color add to the appeal of the Branson Scenic Railway ‘s run through Missouri’s Ozark hills.
Southwest USA
Yellow Aspens captivate leaf peepers along the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad ‘s New Mexico-Colorado run. © Patricia Henschen | Flickr USA’s Southwest offers several unique fall foliage experiences. In the Lone Star State, the Texas State Railroad treats passengers to a unique autumn display as it tracks through piney woods interspersed with oak stands tinted in reds, oranges, and golds. In Arizona, the Verde Canyon Railroad embarks on its Sedona Fall Colors Tours across the rugged canyon floor. For leaf peepers seeking an entirely different foliage experience, New Mexico beckons. There, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad lives up to the state’s “Land of Enchantment” moniker with the stunning groves of yellow-gold Aspen that line its way.
Western USA
Oregon’s fall colors burst into view aboard a Sumpter Valley Railroad foliage train. © Geiser Grand Hotel Western USA turns out an array of autumn colors as brilliant as any to be found Back East. Fall foliage train rides along the Pacific Northwest’s Cascades Range make the point. In Oregon, the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad ‘s Fall Splendor excursions live up to their name. A few hundred miles east, steam trains chug along the scenic route of the Sumpter Valley Railroad . In Colorado, even the finickiest foliage chasers are dazzled by the golden Aspens that line Rocky Mountain routes of railways like the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad .
Great fall foliage train rides exist from the Mid Atlantic to the Pacific Northwest, and from New England to the Smokies. And with countless historic and scenic railroads scattered across the USA, we’re bound to have missed more than a few. Tell us about your favorites — the fall foliage train rides you’d like to see featured next year. And be sure to check out the Fall Foliage Trains website for more leaf peeper excursions…and our Train Traveling guide to Train Rides in the USA for more seasonal rail adventures.
