Getting there is definitely part of the fun with a fall foliage train ride. There’s no navigating busy highways to take in the fall colors. Instead, you can just sit back and enjoy forests awash in vibrant leaves, charming towns, and scenic stretches that you might have missed from the road.
A fall foliage train ride is also ideal for a multigenerational adventure with little kids and grandparents in the group, since there’s no hiking required to take in the dramatic autumn landscapes. My list of this year’s top fall foliage rides includes everything from short trips to multiday journeys through some of the country’s most picturesque places this time of year. Here are the best fall train rides in the U.S. for seeing fantastic fall foliage and creating special family memories.
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1. Mount Washington Cog Railway
Mount Washington, New Hampshire
The world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, New Hampshire’s historic Mount Washington Cog Railway uses bio-diesel powered locomotives to carry passengers to the summit of the tallest peak in the northeast. The three-hour, round-trip fall foliage train ride departs and returns from Bretton Woods in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, close to the popular family vacation destination of North Conway.
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While the coaches are mechanically state-of-the-art, a retro aesthetic replicates what travelers would have experienced in the early 1900s, making it a fun idea to incorporate as part of a multigenerational vacation with grandparents. Cold weather comes early at Mount Washington’s high altitude, with leaves usually starting to blush by mid-September. During the one-hour layover atop the summit, you can explore the Mount Washington Observatory and enjoy views that stretch to five states, Canada, and the Atlantic Ocean. If you opt for a trip powered by one of the railway’s vintage coal-fired steam locomotives, you’ll get out at Waumbek Station, which is almost always below the clouds for clear views.
2. Canyon Spirit
Denver to Moab
The Rockies are a fairytale in autumn, and there’s no better way to appreciate their sublime beauty than a fall foliage train ride on board a luxury train. Canyon Spirit offers a two-day trip traveling between Denver and Moab that runs into November, with fall providing a good time to immerse yourself in a canopy of yellow created by countless Aspen trees.
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With an air of yesteryear elegance, Canyon Spirit trips are first-class all the way. At night, you’re escorted off the train to sleep in a fine hotel. Stellar service and top-notch dining on board are gravy on top. There’s also an option for guests to add a third night to Salt Lake City.
3. Amtrak’s Downeaster
Boston to Brunswick
This three-hour Amtrak ride through portions of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine combines stops in some of New England’s most beloved cities with magnificent glimpses of seasonal colors. Running between Boston’s North Station and Brunswick, Maine, the Downeaster is a leaf-peeper’s delight in the fall. Blazes of color are punctuated by historic towns, New England beaches, and flocks of migratory birds flying overhead.
Along the way, you’ll stop in the culinary sweet spot of Portland and feast on creamy clam chowder or the lobster roll of your dreams. The final stop on this foliage ride is Brunswick, where you can snap postcard-perfect photos from the top of Androscoggin Swinging Bridge, a suspension bridge built in 1892.
4. Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s Frostburg Flyer
Cumberland to Frostburg, Maryland
Passengers on Western Maryland Scenic Railroad‘s Frostburg Flyer ride in vintage rail cars from Cumberland to Frostburg as the train ascends an impressive swath of the Allegheny Mountains. Opt for the heritage rail company’s Dome Car and you can enjoy panoramic views throughout the journey.
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You’ll cross hardwood forests brushed with a rainbow swirl of sunny yellows, brilliant oranges, and bold reds. Live commentary enhances the experience of the fall foliage train ride. The round-trip takes about four and a half hours, including a 90-minute stop in Frostburg.
5. Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express
New York to Vermont
With daily service between New York City and Vermont, Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express fall foliage train ride takes you on a journey through storybook New England villages and upstate New York landscapes. Soak in snippets of cute farms and idyllic towns in the Hudson River Valley along with the glorious Green Mountains of Vermont.
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The Green Mountain State is known for its autumn displays with oak, maple, and ash trees exploding in rainbow pops of crimson, tangerine, and saffron. The scenic train ride ends in the classic New England fall getaway spot of Burlington, a charming pedestrian-friendly city on the shores of Lake Champlain.
6. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad helps travelers of all ages and abilities explore and appreciate the autumn landscapes of Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, one of the best national parks to visit in the fall. It’s the largest nonprofit excursion railroad in Ohio and the only provider of passenger rail service within a national park in the United States.
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The railroad’s national park scenic excursions include a three-and-a-half-hour trip along miles of historic track through the tree-filled Cuyahoga Valley that offers plenty of opportunities for taking in the fall foliage. There’s also a two-hour trip that’s perfect for riding with kids.
7. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight
Seattle to Los Angeles
Widely regarded as the most dazzling West Coast train route in the U.S., Amtrak’s Coast Starlight links Seattle to Los Angeles. Lush forests, fertile valleys, and rambling stretches of Pacific shoreline await passengers.
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As the weather cools, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California’s expanses of evergreens, including Douglas fir and Western hemlock, are punctuated by broad-leaved maple, poplar, and alder trees in bold autumn shades. The peaks of the Cascade Range are ignited with splashes of yellow, red, and orange for a kaleidoscope of color.
8. Wilmington & Western Railroad
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington & Western Railroad began in 1867 as a transportation route for freight and passengers, but today passengers ride its 10 miles of track to take in scenic views. The train follows Red Clay Creek for much of the trip, passing by parkland and forests, a historic mill, and a covered bridge along the way.
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Those views become especially pretty when framed by autumn leaves, and the railroad’s Autumn Leaf Ramble trip lets passengers admire the fall foliage from antique passenger coaches. Trains are pulled by an antique steam locomotive, a historic diesel locomotive, or a 1929 Pennsylvania Railroad “Doodlebug” railcar.
9. Grand Canyon Railway
Williams, Arizona, to the Grand Canyon South Rim
The Grand Canyon is one of the country’s natural wonders that every kid should see, but why drive there when you can ride a vintage train straight to the South Rim instead? The Grand Canyon Railway departs from Williams, Arizona, in the morning and returns in the afternoon. During the two-hour-and-15-minute ride, you’ll enjoy live Wild West entertainment including strolling musicians and a hilarious mock train robbery.
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Color changes on this route are more subtle than other fall foliage train rides, yet as you travel through Arizona’s high desert of red buttes, scrub brush, and pinyon pines, you’ll be rewarded with crisp temperatures and a deep blue sky that combine to make it a fabulous way to soak in the changing landscape.
10. Amtrak’s Cardinal
New York to Chicago
Revel in a panorama of autumn tones as you traverse the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley, and the West Virginia countryside on Amtrak’s Cardinal, a route that meanders from New York to Chicago. Tall peaks, big cities, and small towns present scenery to suit a variety of tastes. Departing three days a week, this scenic train route delivers an eyeful of fall color over the course of its 26-hour journey.
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11. East Broad Top Railroad
Rockhill Furnace to Colgate Grove, Pennsylvania
Located in Central Pennsylvania, the East Broad Top Railroad offers nostalgic one-hour fall foliage train excursions that are the perfect length if you’re vacationing with toddlers or grade school-aged kids. Constructed in 1872, East Broad Top Railroad is the oldest operating narrow-gauge railroad in the United States. The historical integrity of the railroad has been meticulously preserved, so a ride feels like a moving museum.
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There’s no shortage of spectacular leaf peeping in the dense woodlands either. Beyond the regularly scheduled train rides, the Pumpkin Patch Express in October invites kids to wear their Halloween costumes, play games, and take a hay bale wagon ride at a pumpkin patch at the Colgate Grove picnic area.
12. The Greenbrier Express
Cass to Durbin, West Virginia
The Greenbrier Express departs from the town of Cass and follows the Greenbrier River to the mountain village of Durbin. Along the way, you’ll pass through the Monongahela National Forest for some prime fall leaf peeping, and maybe even spot wildlife like deer, black bears, and eagles.
The five-and-a-half-hour trip includes a layover in Durbin, a one-time timber town at the headwaters of the Greenbrier River. Passengers can shop for railroad souvenirs while snacking on ice cream at the Rail & Trail store or grab a coffee or smoothie from Simply Sweet Cafe. The Greenbrier Express is just one of the excursions offered by Mountain Rail West Virginia, which also include rides up Bald Knob (the second highest point in West Virginia) and a trip along the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River to the High Falls of Cheat.
13. Amtrak’s California Zephyr
Chicago to Emeryville
Amtrak’s California Zephyr travels daily between Chicago and Emeryville, California, with connecting bus service to San Francisco. You don’t need to ride the 51-hour route in its entirety to make it a worthy fall trip. From the buttery hues of Colorado’s Aspen trees to the brilliant oranges and fiery reds of dogwoods and maples in the Sierra Nevada, expect a painter’s palate.
14. Catskill Mountain Railroad
Kingston, New York
Take a Catskill Fall Foliage Adventure aboard this heritage railroad in New York’s Hudson Valley. The rail journey travels along the former Ulster & Delaware Railroad corridor, and passengers can admire autumn colors in the Catskills from a standard coach seat or in one of the railroad’s open-air flat cars.
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The eight-mile round trip takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, so it’s not too long for kids. But young riders might prefer a trip on the Pumpkin Express train, which stops at a pumpkin patch where kids can select their favorite gourd to take home.
Beth Luberecki also contributed to this story.
