Experience Spring In The Great Smoky Mountains Via Vintage Train

This one-time excursion takes passengers through the breathtaking Nantahala Gorge.

All aboard!

The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum is sponsoring a spring train excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, inviting passengers to celebrate the beauty of the season via vintage train car this May.

The one-day event hosted by the Tennessee museum takes passengers from the historic depot in Bryson City, North Carolina, through the Great Smoky Mountains. The roughly four-hour excursion follows the former Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch Line through the breathtaking Nantahala Gorge and back in time for dinner.

Make sure you bring a camera, as much of the route hugs the banks of the Little Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers and crosses Fontana Lake on a trestle spanning 780 feet 100 feet above the lake.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of the spring season while riding the rails in vintage passenger railroad cars,” a news release boasts.

The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum’s Famous Spring Excursion operates on Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Tickets start at $107 for adults and $88 for children. First class tickets ($175) include a meal. Box lunches and concession items are also available for purchase. All tickets also include free admission to the Smoky Mountain Lionel Train Museum in Johnson City, Tennessee. The museum boasts a collection of 7,000 Lionel engines, cars and accessories, and an impressive operating layout and children's activity center.

Visit wataugavalleynrhs.org for tickets and more information. Spots are filling up quickly.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.