12 Scenic Train Rides in the South (Including the NEW Gulf Coast Route!)
Y'all aboard! Fall is in sight, and so is your train. These scenic railroad excursions across the South offer unmatched views, upscale dining, and themed festivities to see you through the rest of the year. Image: Facebook / Big South Fork Scenic Railway
Updated September 2025 by Katie Leigh Matthews
Locomotive travel invites us back to a simpler time and an unhurried, undisturbed opportunity to see fall foliage and holiday lights. As fall and winter approach, we’ve got our eye on these seriously festive passenger trains. Outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, foodies, and families, check out these 12 scenic train routes around the South, including a new Amtrak service that runs along the Gulf Coast!
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
More Info: brscenic.com
This experience starts in the historic depot in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia’s coolest mountain town. On this 26-mile trip along the scenic Toccoa River, riders can view what countless generations have viewed before them in the lush Appalachian foothills and farmland. You’ll even pass by a Native American fish trap thought to be over 500 years old.
During the four-hour trip, you’ll enjoy a two-hour layover in the sister towns of McCaysville, GA, and Copperhill, TN. Be sure to get your photo standing in both states at once on the famous “Blue Line” between the towns. The popular Toccoa-Ocoee Street has delightful eateries, boutiques, and galleries to explore before you return to Blue Ridge.
Virginia Scenic Railway
Location: Staunton, VA
More Info: virginiascenicrailway.com
Roar through tunnels and over bridges, pass by scenic fields and forests, and climb over mountains along the Virginia Scenic Railway, which offers the state’s only regularly scheduled tourist trains. Pick from two routes offering three-hour sightseeing excursions through the Shenandoah Valley with upscale dining services. Plus, the railway just added a beautifully refurbished Vista-Dome class car to the “Silver Palace” fleet circa 1948, offering panoramic views, a lounge, and a walk-up bar.
Get a front-row seat to Virginia’s most magnificent fall views aboard The Shenandoah Valley Limited, an exclusive trip aboard an iconic steam locomotive. These limited series excursions are only offered for five consecutive weekends beginning in late September to ensure peak autumn colors.
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
Location: Bardstown, KY
More Info: kydinnertrain.com
Think of My Old Kentucky Dinner Train as chef-driven fine dining on wheels! The 32-mile round-trip lunch and dinner excursions are approximately two-and-a-half hours long and feature ever-changing and always charming countryside views with incredible hospitality and a full menu of Southern delicacies.
You’ll feel transported by the glamour of yesteryear from the moment you step into the stunningly restored 1940s dining cars. They also offer on- and off-train events like an annual Bourbon Fest, mixology classes, Murder Mystery excursions, and more.
Tennessee Valley Railroad
Location: Chattanooga, TN, and Delano, TN
More Info: tvrail.com
Since welcoming its first railroad in 1850, Chattanooga has been a hub of locomotion. The town is also doing a lot to preserve its history. Tennessee Valley Railroad’s passenger trains now run on a historic route that includes the Missionary Ridge Tunnel, completed in 1858.
Take in picturesque Tennessee Valley views on various routes (ranging from two to nine hours long) with stopovers in several small towns. Pick from an array of “flavored” rides like tea service, Civil War history, Christmas dinner, holiday lights, and more.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Location: Bryson City, NC
More Info: gsmr.com
Over one million visitors a year head to quaint Bryson City, NC’s historic train depot, to hop on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s famous passenger trains. Pick from an array of round-trip scenic rides ranging from three-and-a-half hours to a full day of adventure that takes you to extraordinary corners of Western North Carolina you can’t see by car.
Whether you want to travel through the spooky Cowee Tunnel (rumored to be haunted), cross the historic Fontana Trestle, or explore sweet, Southern small towns, you’ll enjoy delectable eats and unforgettable views of the Great Smoky Mountains along the way. They also offer unique seasonal rides like the Polar Express and Spirits on the Rail.
South Carolina Railroad Museum
Location: Winnsboro, SC
More Info: scrm.org
The South Carolina Railroad Museum puts history on wheels with its train rides through Carolina woods, granite hillsides, and bucolic countryside, and narrated rides bring the history of the region to life.
Add some festive spark to the holiday season or treat your loved one(s) to an unforgettable evening on the rails at one of their seasonal experiences like the BBQ dinner train, Pumpkin Patch Express, and more. While you’re there, explore some of the stationary trains at the museum, like their circus dormitory cars, once used for traveling circus performers.
Big South Fork Scenic Railroad
Location: Stearns, KY
More Info: bsfsry.com
History buffs and nature lovers won’t want to miss this nostalgic railway journey in the stunning Big South Fork. Starting in beautiful Stearns, KY, this three-hour trip travels along the historic and picturesque Kentucky and Tennessee Railway line, traveling deep into the lush gorge to the old coal mining town of Blue Heron.
Take in the views on the way and learn about the area’s history on the narrated journey back. This route highlights a piece of Southern history and is one of the best for fall colors with its Fall Color Run excursions.
Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway
Location: Eureka Springs, AR
More Info: esnarailway.com
One of our favorite small towns in Arkansas hosts scenic and dining locomotive experiences through charming towns and pristine wilderness. Aboard Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway’s 1940-era diesel locomotive, you can witness the authentic turntable turn the engine around. The excursion ride is conductor-narrated, while the luxury lunch and dinner trips feature a 1920s-inspired menu aboard the Eurekan Dining Car.
SAM Shortline
Location: Cordele, GA
More Info: samshortline.com
In 2000, the SAM excursion train founders began putting this historic train — one that helped build many parts of South — back together. Locating and restoring the original cars, all circa 1939 to 1949, took two years! Today, the excursion train follows the historic route from Cordele to Plains, GA, rolling over Lake Blackshear and through cotton fields, pecan groves, and peanut farms.
Passengers can visit sites like the Georgia Rural Telephone Museum, historic downtown Americus, along with President Jimmy Carter’s hometown of Plains and his boyhood farm in Archery. The SAM Shortline runs holiday-themed excursions throughout the year and offers coach and dining cars in addition to a plush lounge in the Chairman’s class car.
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
Location: Calera, AL
More Info: hodrrm.org
On Saturdays at Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, take a trip back in time aboard the vintage coaches of The Calera & Shelby Railroad. You’ll traverse some of the former L&N Alabama Mineral Railroad line established in 1891. The first-generation diesel-electric locomotive takes you through the scenic forests of Shelby County on a 75-minute trip.
Before or after your trip, explore the museum’s two restored depots and collection of railroad cars, locomotives, and cabooses. In addition to their many holiday-themed trips, they also offer train excursions through Alabama wine country in conjunction with wine tastings and a ‘Bourbon and Brisket’ event at Ozan Winery and Distillery.
Austin Steam Train
Location: Cedar Park, TX
More Info: austinsteamtrain.org
This popular Central Texas excursion railroad was born when an old steam locomotive and a piece of historic rail line both became the property of the citizens of Austin. Book their signature and longest train ride, the Hill Country Flyer, which meanders through Texas Hill Country’s bluebonnet flowers, rolling farmlands, and rustic outposts. You’ll stop in the charming town of Burnet to shop, eat, and explore before completing the 66-mile round-trip journey.
Brand New! Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service
Location: New Orleans, LA to Mobile, AL
More Info: amtrak.com
For the first time in 20 years, you can ride the rails along this scenic route through the Gulf Coast on Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service. Stretching from New Orleans, LA, to Mobile, AL, the three-hour, 45-minute trip will make four stops in Mississippi along the way: Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.
Take in the coastal views and enjoy a full-service cafe on the commute to a weekend getaway, sporting event, or, of course, Mardi Gras celebration. Fares start at $30 one-way. This revival of classic commuter train travel offers a unique opportunity to see and explore the Gulf Coast in a whole new way.
Happy train hoppin’ this fall!
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Zoe Yarborough
Zoe is a StyleBlueprint staff writer, Charlotte native, Washington & Lee graduate, and Nashville transplant of eleven years. She teaches Pilates, helps manage recording artists, and likes to "research" Germantown's food scene.