15 Scenic New York Train Trips For Leaf Peeping

Fall in New York doesn’t play fair. Trees explode into fire, rivers catch the light like mirrors, and suddenly you’re sticking your head out the window like a kid again.

I’ve boarded trains with coffee in one hand and way too much optimism in the other, swearing I wouldn’t cry at leaves. Spoiler: I cried at leaves.

Dear reader, these rides turn strangers into friends, sandwiches into feasts, and hills into theaters. Trains and autumn just make sense together. I can’t explain it scientifically, but my heart insists it’s true. These tracks carry both scenery and something bigger.

1. Adirondack Railroad

Utica clatters awake as the Adirondack Railroad pulls you north. The train hums, slow at first, then steadies into rhythm like a heartbeat.

Mountains sharpen against the sky, valleys sink deep, rivers glitter. Every curve throws a new view and passengers scramble, cameras clicking in frantic chorus.

I pressed my forehead against the glass, fogging it with awe, and whispered nonsense at trees that looked like fire. Adirondack doesn’t transport you. It transforms you.

2. Catskill Mountain Railroad

Kingston feels ordinary until this train starts moving. The whistle echoes, the wheels groan, and suddenly the Catskills rise around you like a painted backdrop.

Leaves tumble across tracks, deer flick through meadows, barns lean crooked but proud. The whole ride feels homemade, patched together but beating with history.

Families point, kids shriek, adults forget their phones. I nearly lost my sandwich staring at a ridge glowing gold. Catskill Mountain gives fall a soundtrack, clattering and warm.

3. Delaware & Ulster Railroad

Arkville greets you with diesel smoke and chatter. The Delaware & Ulster feels sturdy, a little rough around the edges, exactly how I like it.

The train rolls past farms, bridges, and hillsides screaming color. Old cars creak, windows rattle, but the view steals every complaint before it forms.

I leaned out too far, hair whipping, laughing like a lunatic. Locals waved back. Delaware & Ulster doesn’t just show fall. It pulls you inside it.

4. Arcade & Attica Railroad

Western New York means steam. Arcade & Attica fires up an actual vintage locomotive, hissing and puffing like it’s angry but determined.

Countryside rolls gentle, dotted with pumpkins, barns, and cows that barely notice us. The leaves burn brighter against smoke curling heavy in the air.

I grinned until my cheeks ached, soot stuck to my jacket, and I didn’t care. This isn’t a ride. It’s theater, staged in cornfields with steam.

5. Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway

The whistle shrieks, you board in Corinth, and suddenly time folds. This train oozes vintage charm, polished wood, velvet seats, and staff who grin knowingly.

Pines sweep past, rivers cut silver, hills flicker with color. You sip cider onboard, pretending you belong in another century, but it feels right.

I waved at fishermen who waved back like we were neighbors. Saratoga Corinth makes fall feel endless, like the ride refuses to end because beauty won’t let it.

6. Medina Railroad Museum Fall Foliage Train

Medina wins by excess. There’s a massive museum attached, stuffed with artifacts, then you climb into a train that takes you straight into leaf country.

The cars rumble heavy, kids dart down aisles, staff shout facts over the microphone. Outside? Maple trees blazing like torches, fields fading toward winter.

I snapped 400 photos, none good enough. Medina overloads you, history inside, scenery outside. It’s not neat or polished, but neither is fall.

7. New York & Lake Erie Railroad

Gowanda greets you quiet, then the train bursts through farmland into forests lit like bonfires. Old engines rumble loud enough to drown small talk.

Cars clatter, benches squeak, and people grin at every window. Lakes flash blue, hills ripple with red, yellow, orange like an artist lost control.

I leaned out too long, eyes watering from wind, but couldn’t stop. New York & Lake Erie throws autumn at you until you’re dazed and giddy.

8. Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad

Baseball town doubles as train town. The Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley hums vintage, rails clicking soft, scenery rolling easy through farmland and forest.

Rivers curl silver beside the tracks, barns tilt sideways, leaves swirl like confetti. The train itself feels old, patched, but stubbornly alive.

Kids run the aisles, adults sip cider, and strangers share blankets. I left convinced Cooperstown pitches better in maple leaves than in baseballs.

9. Metro-North Hudson Line

Forget fancy. This is commuter chaos with benefits. Board in Manhattan, head north, and suddenly the Hudson River hugs you like an old friend.

Bridges slice across, Palisades rise dramatic, towns scatter along shorelines. Trains full of office chatter hush the second color floods the windows.

I nearly missed my stop just watching barges drift. The Hudson Line proves you don’t need vintage charm when the river is busy showing off.

10. Amtrak Adirondack

New York City to Montreal. That’s commitment. But fall makes it essential. The Adirondack slices past rivers, mountains, and Lake Champlain in full glowing armor.

The train hums modern, seats wide, windows tall. Every turn feels cinematic, like nature hired a director and went over budget on color.

I kept gasping, annoying strangers, but nobody complained. Everyone else was gasping too. Adirondack doesn’t deliver scenery. It delivers obsession.

11. Amtrak Empire Service

This line feels like New York’s backbone. Albany, Syracuse, Rochester—all connected by rails that just happen to pass autumn’s best moments.

The scenery swings wide: farmland stretched gold, lakes calm as mirrors, forests bleeding color. Trains glide smooth, steady, like they know they’re important.

I stared until my eyes dried. Empire Service isn’t dramatic. It’s steady, grounding, and deeply beautiful. Sometimes the backbone is what carries the show.

12. Amtrak Ethan Allen Express

This one races north to Vermont, but New York steals the spotlight first. Hudson Valley explodes with color, every mile louder than the last.

The train hums modern, steady. Outside, barns sit tiny against fields, rivers flash silver, and mountains flex red shoulders into the sky.

I sat slack-jawed, cider in hand, wondering why anyone drives. Ethan Allen makes you feel smug, like you found the cheat code for fall.

13. Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

This one’s small, quirky, and perfect. Volunteers run it, vintage cars creak, and the track winds through farmland lit gold and red.

Engines groan like they’re older than your grandparents. Windows rattle, benches squeak, but outside trees turn every shade between flame and rust.

I grinned at strangers, strangers grinned back, and we all cheered when the whistle blew. Sometimes small scale means bigger joy. Rochester proved it.

14. Buffalo Cattaraugus & Jamestown Scenic Railway

Western New York delivers drama here. The train huffs through valleys, climbs into forests, and tosses you views that feel bigger than the cars.

Leaves glow fierce, rivers coil silver, and farms sit stubborn against the hills. The car rocks and shakes, but it just adds to the ride.

I leaned into the sway, camera useless against the blur, and laughed out loud. Buffalo Cattaraugus makes fall feel reckless, alive, impossible to contain.

15. Pomeroy Family Railroad

Okay, this one’s tiny. It runs inside the New York State Fairgrounds, a miniature train chugging through trees painted like crayons.

Kids scream, parents laugh, adults secretly ride twice. The engine toots proudly, cars wobble, and leaves fall across tracks like confetti at a parade.

I rode with strangers and forgot my age. Pomeroy proves scale doesn’t matter. Even the smallest train can deliver autumn straight to your heart.