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Trains bring autumn to life

BY RACHEL CRICK

There’s something magical about train travel.

Perhaps that magic comes from the abundance of fictional trains that whisk characters into whimsical worlds. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of travel from an era before automobiles. Whatever the reason, traveling by rail is a perennially popular opportunity for groups. This is especially true in autumn, when crisp air, seasonal festivities and, of course, fall foliage can light up any trip.

A traveler doesn’t need to be a seasoned leaf peeper to fawn over the warm reds, golds and oranges that set the countryside ablaze. To enjoy some of the most colorful and scenic trips of the year, check out breathtaking autumn railway excursions on these railroads.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD BRYSON CITY, NORTH CAROLINA

The “smoke” on the Smoky Mountains is actually fog created by moisture lifting from dense, deciduous forests. These same forests display beautiful autumn foliage beginning in mid-September at higher elevations, peaking during October. Red maples, sugar maples, scarlet oaks and sweetgum trees bring vibrant reds to the mountainside, while beech, hickory and birch trees add shades of orange and gold.

Groups can experience this gorgeous collage of colors aboard the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City, North Carolina. One of the railroad’s most scenic trips, the Nantahala Gorge Excursion, is offered on both steam and diesel trains.

“It’s a beautiful sight that is best experienced in person, aboard one of our many historic train cars,” said Kord Walls, marketing manager at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.