These Illinois Train Journeys Showcase The State’s Best Fall Scenery
Illinois in the fall feels like something everyone should experience at least once. The colors take over the trees, the air cools off just enough, and the best way to see it all might honestly be on a train.
You can sit back, sip something warm, and watch the leaves change as you roll past small towns and open fields. A few routes across the state make it easy to enjoy without any planning or stress.
It’s just you, the tracks, and that cozy Midwest kind of calm that comes with autumn in Illinois.
1. Monticello Railway Museum, Monticello
Vintage railcars roll through central Illinois countryside on this heritage railway, passing fields and woodlands painted in autumn colors. The museum operates historic trains that take passengers on a scenic ride through Piatt County farmland.
I rode this line one October afternoon and watched the corn stubble glow golden under the afternoon sun. The coaches are authentic pieces of railroad history, and the volunteers share stories about each car.
Families enjoy the relaxed pace and the chance to step back in time while watching the fall landscape unfold outside.
2. Silver Creek & Stephenson Railroad, Freeport
Northwest Illinois farmland and wooded areas unfold during this heritage railroad ride near Freeport. The train follows an old route through Stephenson County, where the rolling hills show off layers of fall color.
Passengers sit in vintage coaches while the train winds through countryside that looks especially pretty when the leaves change. Oak and hickory trees dominate the landscape here, creating a mix of browns, oranges, and deep reds.
The railroad hosts special autumn excursions that let you experience the season at a slower, more thoughtful pace than any car ride could offer.
3. Metra Milwaukee District North Line
Commuter trains run from downtown Chicago to Fox Lake, passing through suburbs that burst with color each fall. This route travels through communities like Libertyville and Grayslake, where mature trees line residential streets and parks.
You’ll see backyards, forest preserves, and wetlands all dressed in autumn hues as the train heads north. The Chain O’Lakes region near the end of the line offers glimpses of water surrounded by colorful shoreline trees.
Regular service means you can ride any day of the week and catch the changing leaves at different stages throughout October.
4. Metra Heritage Corridor
Following the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal, this route connects Chicago to Joliet through a corridor rich with both history and natural beauty. The train passes through communities along the Des Plaines River valley where fall colors reflect in the water.
Wooded areas alternate with open spaces, giving passengers a variety of autumn landscapes to enjoy. I took this route one crisp morning and watched fog lift off the canal while leaves drifted down onto the tracks.
The ride offers a peaceful escape from city life while showcasing the changing seasons along this important historic waterway.
5. Fox River Trolley Museum, South Elgin
Electric trolleys glide along the Fox River through Jon Duerr Forest Preserve, where the trees put on their best autumn show. This museum preserves the history of interurban railways that once connected Chicago suburbs.
Riding these vintage trolleys feels like traveling through a postcard, especially when the maples and oaks turn brilliant shades of red and gold. The open windows let in the crisp fall air as you roll past the riverbank.
It’s a short ride but packed with charm and natural beauty that changes with every trip during fall season.
6. Metra Union Pacific North Line
Lake Michigan stays in view for much of this journey from Chicago to Kenosha, with fall colors framing the blue water. The train passes through lakefront communities like Evanston, Wilmette, and Highland Park where estate trees turn brilliant colors.
Ravines filled with oak and maple trees cut through the North Shore, creating pockets of intense autumn color visible from the train. The contrast between the lake’s steady blue and the changing leaves makes this route especially striking in October.
Morning and evening light both create beautiful scenes as the train hugs the shoreline heading north into Wisconsin.
7. Metra Rock Island District Line
Southwest suburbs unfold along this route from Chicago to Joliet, passing through neighborhoods and forest preserves dressed in fall colors. Communities like Beverly, Blue Island, and Tinley Park show off mature street trees that create tunnels of color.
The train crosses several creeks and passes wetland areas where cattails turn golden and sumac bushes add splashes of red. Fall brings out the best in this landscape, softening the suburban scenery with warm tones.
Frequent service throughout the day means you can catch different lighting conditions as the autumn sun moves across the sky.
8. Metra SouthWest Service
Prairie remnants and farmland appear as this route heads southwest from Chicago toward Manhattan. The landscape opens up beyond the inner suburbs, revealing a more rural character with scattered woodlots turning color.
I rode this line one late afternoon and noticed how the low sun made the prairie grasses glow amber alongside the tracks. Hickory Creek and other waterways add variety to the scenery, with trees clustering along their banks.
This route offers a transition from urban to rural Illinois, showing how the fall season touches different types of landscapes in its own way.
9. Amtrak Lincoln Service
Central Illinois farmland stretches for miles along this route connecting Chicago to Springfield and beyond. Small towns like Bloomington and Lincoln appear along the way, their courthouse squares and parks showing off fall color.
Corn and soybean fields dominate the view, but tree-lined creeks and rivers break up the agricultural landscape with ribbons of autumn color. The Sangamon River valley near Springfield offers some of the prettiest woodland scenery on the route.
Large windows on modern Amtrak coaches let you take in the wide prairie skies and changing leaves without obstruction throughout the journey.
10. Amtrak Illini And Saluki Routes
Southern Illinois hills and forests provide dramatic scenery as these trains head from Chicago toward Carbondale. The landscape changes from flat prairie to rolling terrain as you approach the Shawnee region.
Hardwood forests along this route put on an impressive autumn display, with oaks, hickories, and maples creating layers of color on the hillsides. Small towns like Effingham and Mattoon offer glimpses of small-town Illinois framed by fall foliage.
The southern portion of the route shows a different side of Illinois than most people expect, with genuine hills and thick forest cover turning spectacular shades each October.