BIRD/DONALD T. DEVINE/SHUTTERSTOCK / MT. WASHINGTON COG/DM U/SHUTTERSTOCK ALL OTHERS ©ISTOCK
PIKES PEAK COG RAILWAY
Manitou Springs, Colorado For high-altitude drama and
unobstructed views, it’s hard to beat this ride on the highest cog railway in the world. Operating since 1891, this line climbs
nine miles to the summit of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, one of Colorado’s most iconic “fourteeners.” In early October, the lower elevations
are carpeted in bright-yellow aspen groves, while higher up, the landscape
becomes rugged tundra and open sky. It’s a unique foliage experience, more alpine than forest, but no less beautiful. The new Swiss-made trains
(introduced in 2021) are smooth, quiet, and climate-controlled, making the steep ride accessible for travelers of all ages. Once at the summit, you’ll have about 40 minutes to soak in the views. The journey takes about three hours round trip. Manitou Springs is about a 20-minute
drive from Colorado Springs, and there is plenty of lodging in both cities.
WISCONSIN GREAT
NORTHERN RAILROAD Trego, Wisconsin Midwestern travelers don’t have to leave
AMTRAK ADIRONDACK LINE
New York to Montreal If you want a longer ride with
uninterrupted scenery, this route delivers. The whole journey runs from Manhattan to Montreal, but the most scenic stretch unfurls between Albany and the Canadian border. It is gorgeous in October, tracing the
Hudson River, crossing through Saratoga Springs, and skirting the edge of Lake Champlain. Large picture windows and quiet cars
make this a peaceful, comfortable way to enjoy fall in the Northeast. The trip also connects travelers to charming towns like Ticonderoga and Plattsburgh, with options to hop off, spend a night, and get back on the train the next day.
CASS SCENIC RAILROAD
home for brilliant fall color. The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad, based in the small town of Trego, offers a unique mix of vintage train charm and peaceful woodland scenery. The Fall Colors Train travels through hardwood forests, marshes, and farmland in northwestern Wisconsin, with meals served in a restored dining car. For a special experience, book the Bed & Breakfast Train, an overnight ride in a sleeper car featuring evening dessert, morning breakfast, and a turndown service straight out of the 1950s.
Cass, West Virginia Originally built to haul timber, this West Virginia
railway now carries passengers in restored logging cars powered by Shay locomotives — slow, powerful engines designed for formidable mountain grades. The ride up to Bald Knob, the state’s third-highest point, is steep and scenic, with wide-open views over the Allegheny Mountains. The trip takes four-and- a-half hours round trip, and the train stops at the summit for photos and picnics. The old company town of Cass still has boarding houses, a 1901 depot, and company homes you can rent overnight.
OCTOBER 2025 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 71
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