The Train Ride Through The Alabama Countryside That Shows Off Fall Foliage
By Lisa Battles|Published September 18, 2023
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Lisa Battles
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Lisa has traveled the U.S. for over a decade, seeking out and sharing the stories of its most interesting places, people, and experiences. A journalism graduate of Auburn University, she has been a content strategist, editor, and writer for more than 25 years. Lisa has worked in community news, PR, and marketing with a focus on tourism, hospitality, and economic development. Besides following her curiosity around every corner, she's a devoted dog mom of two and advocate for animal welfare.
A fall foliage train ride in Alabama to kick off the changing seasons? That tracks for me! In Alabama, we have two options, including one we’ve featured before, the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum located 36 miles south of Birmingham. If you are visiting or live a bit further north, there’s another fall foliage train ride near Huntsville, too! The North Alabama Railroad Museum offers three fall rides that are just the ticket … if you get them early before they sell out.
The North Alabama Railroad Museum is located six miles northeast of downtown Huntsville and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from April through October. At other times, visitors are encouraged to take self-guided walking tours of the grounds to see some of its more than 30 pieces of freight, passenger, and locomotive rolling stock.
The museum offers three different fall rides, with its Punkin' Pickin' Extravaganza set for a Saturday in mid-October, and its two fall foliage train rides taking off the last Saturday in October and the first Saturday in November - peak color season for North Alabama.
The Punkin' Pickin' Extravaganza is exactly as it sounds. The train takes you and your precious cargo a couple of miles west to the railway's terminus near Alabama A&M University, where everyone deboards to pick a pumpkin from a "patch" created for the occasion. The round-trip experience usually takes about 45 minutes.
The Fall Color Special fall foliage train rides are perfect for passengers who want a view of changing leaves that most do not see. Plus, even on autumn drives with a friend, someone has to focus on the wheel, right? Let the engineer keep you on the rails and leave you with nothing to do but gaze upon the glorious colors.
And what a show it is. You'll roll through the countryside on a leisurely 10-mile ride, taking in all the shades of russet, scarlet, amber, and carnelian than you could ever imagine. Each of the fall color train rides lasts a little over an hour.
This delightful-looking Treehouse Haven vacation rental is less than five miles east of the museum and rises into the trees on a property that covers 10 acres.
Have you taken a train ride to entertain your kids or get a different perspective on landscapes and seasons for yourself? We’d love for you to share your experience.
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