All Aboard: The Scenic Railways Reviving Mountain Travel
Heritage rail excursions through gorges and across trestles are offering a nostalgic, unhurried way to experience the western landscape.
Before the highways, the railroad opened the Carolina mountains. Today, heritage rail is opening them again, in a slower and more romantic register.
Travel as it was
Scenic railway excursions carry passengers through river gorges and across soaring trestles, retracing routes that once hauled timber and ore. The journeys are unhurried by design, the landscape the entire point.
The trains draw families, railfans and travelers charmed by the nostalgia of it all.
The pleasure of the passage
There is something clarifying about a mode of travel that cannot be rushed. The scenery unrolls at a human pace, and the destination matters less than the ride.
For the western mountains, the railways offer both an economic boon and a reminder of a gentler way to move through a beautiful place.
Related Stories
A Nor'easter Closes N.C. 12 at Pea Island and Disrupts Ferries
High tide breached the dunes near the Pea Island Visitor Center on September 24, closing the road between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe as crews braced for more of the same.
Mountain State Fair Draws 153,260 Over 10 Days
The fair in Fletcher wrapped up September 20 with new rides, a butterfly experience, calf births and a food drive that put more than 18,000 meals on the table.
Bridgeman Rallies With a 61 to Win Asheville's First PGA Tour Event Since 1942
Trailing by five shots on Sunday, Jacob Bridgeman shot a bogey-free 61 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove to win the inaugural Biltmore Championship at 26 under.