All aboard for an unforgettable—and unusual—leaf peeping experience this fall! Rest those gams, sit back and relax as you watch the season’s colors roll by through a train window. There are plenty of local spots or nearby escapes to fawn over the tawny autumn tones. But if you’d rather sip a cider and munch seasonal snacks from the comfort of an open-air (or climate-controlled) train car, here are seven round-trip rides within a four-hour drive of Arlington.
Colebrookdale Railroad
Drive about three hours north to hop on the Autumn Cider and Donuts Express ($17-$47), a one-hour jaunt during which passengers in the First-Class Parlor get doughnuts, cider and champagne or skip the snacks on the 90-minute Fall Foliage Tour ($22-$37). Both weave through Pennsylvania’s Secret Valley northwest of Philadelphia. Check the website for dates and prices. 64 S. Washington St., Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Highway
The Autumn Leaf ride is 70 minutes round-trip, and tickets ($22-$24) are available only in person on the day of the ride. It starts in Jim Thorpe and takes the Reading and Northern mainline, passing Glen Onoko and following the Lehigh River through Lehigh Gorge State Park. Opt for an open-air car with unobstructed views, standard coach or first-class seating; heated crown-class coaches, or dome car seating with panoramic windows. Note that bike train trips are available, too. 1 Susquehanna St., Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Mountain Rail West Virginia
Choose from four rides that range from two to five and a half hours on steam- or diesel-powered trains. The shortest departs from the Cass Whittaker Station and navigates two switchbacks, following a line built in 1901 to haul lumber to the mill in Cass. The newest—and one of the longest—excursions is on the Greenbrier Express and includes lunch. Guests can disembark the train to grab a bite in Durbin, but during the ride through Monongahela National Forest, keep your eye out for deer, osprey and black bears. Tickets range from $43-$63 for the former and $63-$83 for the latter. 315 Railroad Ave., Elkins, West Virginia
Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad
Marvel at the colors of the season in Trough Canyon—named by one George Washington in 1798—where you might spy some bald eagles enjoying their natural habitat. The 35-mile trip includes a crossing of the Sycamore Bridge and costs $74. Tack on meal service that varies from box lunches to five-course feasts. Another option is the Green Spring Special, a 90-minute trip that ambles toward the West Virginia/Maryland state line. Tickets start at $49. 149 Eagle Drive, Romney, West Virginia
Virginia Scenic Railway
Take advantage of the Autumn Special this October. Ranging from two to six hours, the rides cost $70-$210. The shortest, dubbed the North Mountain Passage, leaves from Goshen and passes rolling farms, wooded hillsides and open pastures. Get a jump on holiday shopping with the Staunton Stop and Shop, a five-hour ride that includes two hours of free time to explore historic Staunton. 12 Middlebrook Ave., Staunton, Virginia
Walkersville Southern Railroad
Take a trip back in time when you travel in vintage 1920s passenger cars or on an open flatcar over track that the Pennsylvania Railroad built in 1872. Opt for the 70-minute Autumn Excursion ($20-$22), which leaves Oct. 4, 10 and 11, and goes through Maryland farm country. Or hop aboard the Pumpkin Patch Express ($23-$25) on Oct. 17, 18 or 25 to enjoy a pretty 45-minute ride and 20-minute stop at a pumpkin patch to pick a gourd. Want something more dramatic? For something more Halloween-y, head out on Oct. 24 for the Pumpkin Patch Express Zombie Wild West ($23-$25). There’s also the adults-only Costumes & Cocktails ($40-$50) the same day, when dressed-up grownups can sip handcrafted moonshine from Rosie Cheeks Distillery. 4 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Walkersville, Maryland
Wilmington & Western Railroad
What started in 1867 as a transportation route for freight and passengers through the Delaware’s Red Clay Valley is now a destination for train enthusiasts and leaf peepers. Book the Autumn Leaf Ramble ($19-$22) on select dates Oct. 17-Nov. 8 to amble through the valley on a 90- to 100-minute ride. Youngsters might be partial to the Villain Express ($25-$28) trip on Oct. 18, when Disney’s Maleficent will perform on the platform before the train ride. 2201 Newport Gap Pike Wilmington, Delaware
