AARP’s Top Picks: Scenic Train Trips in the U.S.

The railroad's Bald Knob Trip takes riders up Cheat Mountain to Bald Knob, West Virginia's third highest peak at 4,842 feet. From this often-misty mountain perch you'll see rolling forests (which, no surprise, are gorgeous in autumn) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The 11-mile railroad line was constructed to haul lumber to Cass, a company town built by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company in 1901 (the company store is still in business — enjoy some hand-scooped ice cream from the soda fountain). Many of the passenger cars are refurbished logging cars, and they're pulled by steam locomotives, just like in Cass's lumber heyday.

Cost: $75 per person for adults; $80 from mid-September to early November
Reservations: 304-636-9477

Blaine Harrington III / Alamy Stock Photo

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

This 64-mile trip has it all: rugged mountains, wood-beam tunnels, river crossings, rustic towns, aspen trees, and occasional bear sightings. The railroad runs between Antonito, Colo., and Chama, N.M. (you can board in either town), climbing over the San Juan Mountains to the Conejos Valley. After departing from Chama, the locomotive scales the 10,015-foot-high Cumbres Pass. The summit view includes alpine meadows with wildflowers and dark green conifers, and later you'll steam above the 600-foot-deep Toltec Gorge. The train has been featured in more than 20 films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. To feel the sun and smell the locomotive smoke, ride in the open-air Gondola Car.

Cost: Full-day adult rates start at $122.50; the 2022 season runs from June 11 to Oct. 23.
Reservations: 888-286-2737

Ken L Howard / Alamy Stock Photo

Grand Canyon Railway

Instead of sitting in traffic jams to enter the hugely popular national park, take the train to the South Rim, as tourists have done since 1901. The 65-mile trip starts in Williams, Ariz., and heads through Ponderosa pine forests and desert prairies. You'll also pass the San Francisco Peaks, the highest point in Arizona (elevation: 12,600 feet). The six rail cars range from 1920s-era Pullmans to the two-floor Luxury Dome, which includes a private bar and a dome for viewing. Watch for animals such as California condors and pronghorns (which look like antelopes). Train trivia: The railway's steam engines, which run once a month on select Saturdays, are fueled by recycled french fry oil from local restaurants.

Cost: Rates range from $67 to $226
Reservations: 800-843-8724       

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

This North Carolina railroad offers two must-ride roundtrip options. The 44-mile, 4.5-hour Nantahala Gorge Excursion takes you along the Tennessee and Nantahala rivers, and across Fontana Lake (created in the 1940s after the construction of the 480-foot-tall Fontana Dam), before heading into the gorge ("Nantahala” is a Cherokee word meaning “Land of the noon-day” sun — deep parts of the gorge only receive direct sunlight at midday). The 32-mile, four-hour Tuckasegee River Excursion features quaint bridges and valley greenery. Remember the famous train wreck scene in the movie The Fugitive? It was filmed on this line, and you'll pass train wreckage from the film. (Don't worry, your train will stay on the tracks.)

Cost: Fares start at $56
Reservations: 800-872-4681

Alamy Stock Photo

Napa Valley Wine Train

Gourmet food, vintage cars, California wines — it's no surprise that this 36-mile roundtrip experience has been a Napa favorite since 1989. Guests can book three-hour lunch or dinner trips — entrees might include ricotta cheese gnocchi and porcini-dusted beef tenderloin — as well as half- or full-day journeys with stops at local wineries. But you might not want to leave the plush Pullman cars, which feature etched glass partitions and comfy armchairs. The glass-enclosed Vista Dome Car provides elevated views of the Napa Valley landscape (though note that it may get dark for viewing during the dinner trip). Special events include Murder Mystery trains where guest are encouraged to wear 1920s attire or even witch hats and wizard robes for special “Wizards & Witches” mysteries.

Cost: Rates start at $175 per person; use the promo code AARP and you’ll get $10 off the gourmet lunch and dinner trains or $15 off the Legacy Tour and the Vista Dome lunch and dinner trains.
Reservations: 800-427-4124

Other short-but-spectacular scenic trains:
Capitol Corridor (California)
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (Colorado)
Strasburg Railroad (Pennsylvania)
White Pass & Yukon Route (Alaska)

Editor's note: This article was originally published on July 2, 2019. It's been updated to reflect new information.