There are plenty of amazing leaf-peeping opportunities in the US. A romantic road trip to see the covered bridges of New England is one; taking a hot air balloon ride to see the foliage from above is another. But the most relaxed and nostalgic way to experience fall in all its glory may be by train. There are multiple vintage railroads in the United States where you can admire the fall colors from a historic rail car, but few do it as well as the East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania.
This Historic Pennsylvania Train Ride Showcases the 'Holy Grail of Fall Foliage'
Construction on the East Broad Top began in 1872, and the narrow-gauge line hauled coal out of Central Pennsylvania until freight service ended in 1956. When the last trains stopped running, crews essentially went home and left everything in place, creating what the Smithsonian has described as one of the most intact 19th-century industrial sites in the country. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, the railroad was saved from the scrapyard and eventually restored, resuming operations as a heritage railroad in 2021. It’s now the only surviving three-foot-gauge common carrier railroad east of the Rocky Mountains.
While the railroad runs excursions and special events nearly year-round, from a February Winter Spectacular to holiday trains in December, fall is when it shines. Through October 31, trains depart the Orbisonia Station every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 10:30 AM, 12 PM, and 1:30 PM, plus a 3 PM departure on select dates, and all weekend trains are pulled by a century-old, coal-fired steam locomotive.
In fall, the signature ride is the Northbound Colgate Grove Excursion. It’s a nine-mile, one-hour roundtrip through the farmland and forests of the Aughwick Valley, and riders who want to linger under fall colors can hop off at Colgate Grove, the halfway point, for a 1.5-hour picnic layover before catching a later train back. Riders can also cover the rest of the railroad’s active track on the Southbound Pogue Excursion, a roundtrip from the same Orbisonia Station heading the opposite direction. Unlike the northbound trip, there’s no layover stop at the end, and the train reverses near the community of Pogue, so most of the appeal is riding a stretch of track that hadn’t carried passengers in nearly 70 years. The southbound trip runs on select dates only, so plan around September 12 and October 3 in 2026. You’ll save $10 per person if you buy both routes as a combo package.
On board, you can choose from four service classes: enclosed cars with padded seats and windows that open, open-air cars with outward-facing bench seats and a sunshade, a historic caboose, or the cinder car — a roofless, open-sided car for those who don’t mind a little soot with their scenery (glasses of some kind are recommended). Coach, open-air, and cinder car seats all cost $25 for adults and $15 for children ages two to 12, while the caboose is $30 for adults and $20 for kids. Kids under two are free if they sit on an adult’s lap, and every train has at least one ADA-accessible car.
Visitors fascinated by train history don’t have to stop at just a train ride. You can also book combo tickets that include guided tours of the railroad depot complex, including the roundhouse where trains have been stored since the early 1900s and the largest belt-driven machine shop in the US. Budget about three hours if you’re catching a ride and touring the facility. Advance online reservations are recommended, and tickets aren’t emailed, so you’ll need to check in at the Orbisonia Station 30 minutes ahead of your scheduled departure time.
Families should consider the Pumpkin Patch Express, running October 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31, 2026, with departures at 10 AM, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, and 2:30 PM. It’s a roughly 2.5-hour tour that includes a ride to Colgate Grove, where you’ll spend 90 minutes choosing from hay bale wagon rides, mini-golf, a bounce house, pumpkin decorating, costume contests, and other good-natured fall activities. Every child’s ticket includes a pumpkin to take home, and adults can purchase their own if they want to get in on the action. Tickets cost $28 for adults and $22 for children in coach or open-air cars, or $32 and $26 in the caboose.