9 best Amtrak routes to ride in the fall

A train ride is a fun adventure any time of year, but trips in the fall offer colorful scenery as the leaves turn different shades of red, orange and yellow. Plus, Amtrak trains are usually less crowded if you plan your vacation after Labor Day. It’s a great time to get out and explore. To start planning your trip, here are nine great Amtrak routes to ride in the fall.

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1. Empire Service

Hudson River Valley in Fall — *Photo by Free-Photos from Pixabay (Hudson River)*

The Hudson River Valley is one of the best places to view fall foliage in the United States. A mid-October day trip on the Empire Service is easily doable as there are multiple trains to choose from each day. One option is to travel between New York City and Albany, which is 2.5 hours one way. You can also travel between New York City and charming Hudson, NY (just over 2 hours one way). For river views, find a seat on the left side of the train if you are traveling north from New York City or nearby station, or sit on the right side if you are heading south toward Manhattan.

2. Maple Leaf

*Photo by Shuichi Aizawa (Niagara Falls in autumn)*

Maple Leaf trains travel through the Hudson River Valley and also stop at Niagara Falls (US and Canada sides) and Toronto, making this train a great option for sightseeing. If you want to spend time in Canada, pack your passport and plan a trip for late September or early October to enjoy the foliage (here are the best places to view the leaves in Toronto). Otherwise, you can stay a night or more at Niagara Falls to experience the stunning waterfalls (view top Niagara Falls tours).

3. Adirondack

Fall in the Adirondack Mountains — *Photo by Idawriter/Wikimedia Commons (Adirondack Mountains)*

Like Empire Service and Maple Leaf, the Adirondack travels along the Hudson River, but you’ll also have wonderful views of Lake Champlain on this route. It’s one of the most scenic Amtrak trips on the East Coast with the option to visit Montreal. This train also provides access to the Adirondack Mountains, and beautiful Lake George is a short drive away from the Fort Edward Amtrak Station via Enterprise rental car.

4. Vermonter

Creamery Covered Bridge in Brattleboro, Vermont — *Photo by Ron Cogswell (Creamery covered bridge in Brattleboro)*

Vermont is a stunning place to see the fall foliage during the last two weeks in September and early October, and you can do so on the Vermonter Amtrak route. Trains travel between Washington D.C. and Vermont, with additional stops in Maryland, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Southbound trains that depart from Vermont will offer the best views since travel is during daylight hours.

We recommend a long-weekend trip so you can hike, bike and enjoy other activities in Vermont before returning home. Brattleboro, which is on the Connecticut River, is a great option as the Amtrak station has Airbnbs, a hotel, hiking trails, restaurants and other things to do in walking distance, plus rental cars are an option with Enterprise (pickup service available).

5. Empire Builder

Columbia River Gorge in fall — *Photo by Bonnie Moreland (Columbia River Gorge)*

On the West Coast, the Columbia River Gorge has amazing scenery all year long, but fall leaves are a bonus starting late September into mid-October. The Empire Builder train that arrives and departs from Portland, Oregon is the train to book. It’s a long-distance route that goes all the way to Chicago, but you can shorten the journey to 13.5 hours by starting or ending the trip in Whitefish, Montana.

Major airlines fly into the airport near Whitefish, there’s plenty of lodging near the Amtrak station, and you can see the Rocky Mountains and visit Glacier National Park as a bonus. Plan your trip in late September or early October to view peak foliage. Also, due to earlier sunset times in the fall, it is better to travel westbound on the Empire Builder to see the most foliage in the Columbia River Gorge.

Note that there is also beautiful fall foliage in Wisconsin and Minnesota that you can view from the train. Consider traveling between Minneapolis and Chicago or Minneapolis and Milwaukee for the scenery and easy access to airports.

6. California Zephyr

Colorado Rocky Mountains in the fall — Photo courtesy Pxhere

For a less traditional fall foliage train trip, travel through the Colorado Rocky Mountains on the California Zephyr. The colors here are primary bright yellow and gold. At the higher elevations on this route, leaves start changing color in early September, with peak viewing at the middle and end of the month.

When planning your trip, keep in mind that the California Zephyr is the second-longest Amtrak route with service between Chicago and Northern California. However, you can do a day trip through the mountains (15 hours) by starting the trip in Denver (requires arriving the day before the train departs unless you live in the area) and traveling to Salt Lake City. In Salt Lake, you’ll need to stay overnight, but then you can fly back home or return to Denver on Amtrak.

The other option is to depart from Denver and stay one night or more near the Fraser/Winter Park or Glenwood Springs Amtrak stations, then travel back to Denver. Check out Colorado train trip ideas to learn more.

7. Cardinal

New River fall foliage — *Image by David Frampton from Pixabay (New River Gorge)*

The Cardinal Amtrak route is one of the most scenic train rides east of the Mississippi River with travel through the New River Gorge, Appalachian Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. There are many places to board the train as it travels between Chicago and New York City, but eastbound travel will give you the most daylight for viewing the scenery, so we recommend starting this trip in the Midwest.

Because there are limited Amtrak stations on this route that are near major airports, you’ll need to plan for a long-distance journey and a night on the train, especially to see all the scenery in the mountains and the valley. If you want to visit the New River Gorge National Park during your trip, book your ticket to Charleston, West Virginia and rent a car there.

Washington D.C. and especially Alexandria, Virginia are great places to start or end your trip on the East Coast as Reagan National Airport is nearby. Chicago and Indianapolis are the major cities at the opposite end of the route that are near airports, with Chicago having the better Amtrak arrival and departure times.

Note that the Cardinal only operates three days each week, so check train schedules before deciding on your vacation dates. The best time for this trip is late September through mid-October.

8. Missouri River Runner

Historic Hermann Missouri — *Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons (Hermann, Missouri)*

For beautiful fall foliage in the Midwest, book a trip on the Missouri River Runner in early to mid-October. Trains travel along the Missouri River between St. Louis and Kansas City and stop at charming cities that are perfect for a weekend trip. Consider staying a night or more in Hermann (pictured above), which was founded by Germans and has rolling hills and wineries. Jefferson City and Independence are other stops to check out if you enjoy historic sites.

9. Lake Shore Limited

*Photo by Ogden Gigli (Western Massachusetts fall foliage)*

The Lake Shore Limited is a long-distance route that travels through the beautiful Hudson River Valley and part of Massachusetts, both great places to view foliage in early October. You can board the train in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Upstate New York. Boston and New York City are both stops on the route and are recommended places to visit in the fall.