5 West Virginia Train Rides West Virginians Save for Late Fall

Late fall is a good time to sit back and watch the mountains go by.

Some West Virginians save a scenic train ride for the end of the season, before the holiday trains take over.

Here’s where to catch a ride while there’s still time.

1. New Tygart Flyer

The New Tygart Flyer takes you out of Elkins on a vintage diesel train, and Mountain Rail West Virginia says the season runs from April into early November.

The booking calendar lists departures from October 29 through November 1, then on November 7, 8, 14, and 15.

The train leaves the Elkins depot at 11 a.m. and takes about 4.5 hours round trip.

You ride along the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River to High Falls of Cheat, which is 18 feet high and 150 feet wide.

Along the way, you pass mountain grades, an S curve tunnel, and a high bridge.

You get lunch onboard.

Fall rates started September 16 with a $10 increase, which puts an adult ticket at $85.

2. Trough Trip

Potomac Eagle’s Trough Trip takes you south from Romney through Trough Canyon on a 3-hour ride, and the railroad says you can spot American bald eagles there.

Departures are at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in October, plus a 1 p.m. departure.

The booking calendar lists a Trough Trip departure, usually at 1 p.m., every day from October 26 through November 6 except Saturday, October 31.

More Trough Trip departures are on November 8, 13, 14, and 15.

You ride about 35 miles round trip to Sycamore Bridge and back.

There’s no layover.

The railroad says George Washington named the Trough during a 1748 surveying trip.

You choose from five seat classes, and the class comparison page lists what each class includes.

3. Cass Halloween Train

The Cass Halloween Train runs two nights, October 30 and 31, on a 2-hour steam ride.

You board at the Cass depot at 5 p.m. for the ride to Whittaker Station.

At Whittaker, you get a campfire, hot chocolate, and a walk through a haunted cemetery to Whittaker Camp 1, an abandoned logging camp.

Costumes are encouraged.

All children receive a bag of candy.

An adult ticket is $75, and concessions are for sale at Whittaker Station.

Back in Cass, there’s a haunted company house plus movies and games at the community center.

4. Greenbrier Express

The Greenbrier Express takes you from Cass to Durbin along the Greenbrier River on a 5.5-hour steam ride.

You leave Cass at 10 a.m.

The season runs from May through October, with departures every day from October 28 through November 1.

More departures are on November 7, 14, and 15.

Lunch comes with your ticket.

Fall rates put an adult ticket at $85.

The railroad says sightings of deer, river otters, and black bears are common on the trip.

5. All Day Petersburg

Potomac Eagle's All Day Petersburg train ride runs on the last Saturday of the month from May to October, the railroad says.

That puts a departure on Saturday, October 31.

There's also an All Day Trip to Petersburg on Saturday, November 7, with an 8:30 a.m. departure.

The ride leaves Romney at 9:30 a.m. and arrives at the South Side Depot in Petersburg at 12:30 p.m.

The round trip covers about 76 miles.

Your layover in Petersburg is 3 hours.

You can explore the shops and restaurants or choose the limited-seating Canyon to Caverns option to visit Smoke Hole Caverns.

The return to Romney is at 6:30 p.m.

An open-top gondola car is a special feature.

Sleeping Near the Rails

If you ride the Cass trains, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park lists cabins, camping, and unique stays as its lodging options.

The campground season runs April 28 through October 31.

Mountain Rail also rents a Castaway Caboose package in Durbin and a camp car at Cass.

The 2026 dates for both are sold out.

If you want either one, the 2027 dates go on sale in January.

Rides Already Finished

Several of Mountain Rail's fall train rides are already behind you.

The Belington Zephyr fall color excursion was set for October 2 and 3, and a Cass photography special for October 12.

The Cass Bald Knob Trip and the Whittaker Station Trip both run May through October, and their last departures were Sunday, October 25.

If you were counting on either train, you won't find a date for it on the calendar through November.

Potomac Eagle's Winter Trains

Potomac Eagle's winter trains start before December, with the North Pole Express on November 14, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29.

On the North Pole Express, you ride 75 minutes in vintage cars with seasonal decorations, storytelling, live entertainment, and milk and cookies.

The railroad says Santa boards with a gift for every child.

Its Holiday Trough is a 3-hour ride of about 35 miles southbound through Trough Canyon, with holiday music, decorations, and a seasonal meal.

You can book the Holiday Trough on November 20, 21, 22, 27, or 28.

Christmas at Cass

Christmas at Cass is a 1-hour steam train ride that runs Friday through Sunday during the first three weeks of December, according to Mountain Rail West Virginia.

You ride in decorated, heated coaches from the Cass depot along the Greenbrier River.

Every child on your ride gets a surprise gift, and the ticket price covers it.

An adult coach ticket is $55, and limited caboose seats cost $60.

Santa visits are planned.