This is the second in a four-part series exploring the railways that travel through the Southeast’s mountains and forests. In Part 2, we ride the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
By the Backroad Portfolio staff
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers two classic round trips into some of the Southern Appalachians’ most bucolic lands. The Nantahala Gorge Excursion starts at the depot in Bryson City, North Carolina, and covers 44 miles in just over four hours, rolling beside the Nantahala and Little Tennessee rivers, across the long Fontana Trestle over Fontana Lake, and into the deep Nantahala Gorge for a layover.
The Tuckasegee River Excursion runs 32 miles round trip in about four hours, following the river through quiet countryside and the 836-foot Cowee Tunnel (some say it’s haunted), and into the little mountain town of Dillsboro.
Ride vintage coaches and open-air gondolas, or step up to First Class and Crown Class cars featuring extra comfort and dining options. Steam locomotives are available for selected trips.
These are the old Southern Railway Murphy Branch tracks, and the onboard stories bring that history to life as you ride over rivers, valleys, and trestles, viewing scenery you simply can’t see from the highway.
