10 West Virginia Winter Train Rides Showcasing Stunning Mountain Scenery
When winter settles into West Virginia, the mountains trade their fiery fall colors for soft grays, blues, and bright white seams of snow.
It’s the kind of landscape that almost demands a train whistle in the distance.
These winter rides slip into places your car will never quite reach – narrow gorges, frozen rivers, and high ridgelines where the wind feels a little wilder.
Onboard, windows fog, boots thaw, and the rhythm of the rails turns strangers into quiet traveling companions.
Some trips lean full holiday fantasy with lights, cocoa, and Santa; others are simple, scenic excursions where the soundtrack is nothing but steel on track and river against rock.
Either way, these West Virginia winter trains prove you don’t have to leave the state to feel like you’ve stepped straight into a snow-dusted movie.
1. Greenbrier Express Winter Special – Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass
Boards at: 12363 Cass Road, Cass, WV 24927
Steam hisses softly as the engine pulls up to the Cass platform on a January morning, and passengers hurry aboard heated coaches that promise five hours of comfort.
This ride follows the old 1901 lumber route between Cass and Durbin, tracing the frozen Greenbrier River through country that feels untouched by time.
Snowy riverbanks glide past your window while Allegheny ridges rise in the distance, their slopes thick with frosted pines.
A cold-cut lunch arrives at your seat so you never have to step into the chill.
Running on select dates in January and February, this excursion was built specifically for winter lovers.
The route showcases quiet beauty that only reveals itself when the leaves are gone and the world turns white.
2. The Elf Limited – Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass
Boards at: Cass Depot, 12363 Cass Road, Cass, WV 24927
Where the Christmas Train leans classic, The Elf Limited leans playful.
This one-hour round trip out of Cass feels like stepping into a storybook, with elves roaming the aisle and Santa making surprise appearances as the train glides through the darkening forest.
Kids listen to a narrated tale while the historic coaches roll along the Greenbrier River alignment, the same route that turns to pure winter magic once snow settles in.
Typically running mid-November through early December on select evenings, this ride uses Cass’s vintage rolling stock and adds a layer of whimsy to the mountain scenery.
Tourism pieces and holiday-train roundups still list Elf Limited as an active, family-focused excursion on the Mountain Rail roster, making it a safe bet for your winter plans.
3. Elkins Winter Special – Durbin & Greenbrier / Mountain Rail, Elkins
Boards at: Elkins Depot (Elkins Depot Welcome Center), 315 Railroad Ave, Elkins, WV 26241
On a cold Friday in January, you step into the historic 1908 depot in downtown Elkins, collect your ticket, and follow the crowd onto the Elkins Winter Special.
This four-hour diesel excursion leaves at 11 a.m., serving an included cold-cut lunch as it follows mountain grades and river bends out of town.
The route explores remote country along the Tygart Valley River and Shavers Fork, places that feel even more isolated when the hillsides are bare and the rocks are lined with icicles.
Mountain Rail explicitly markets this as a winter-only excursion, running Fridays and Saturdays from mid-January through late February.
Boarding directly from the Elkins Depot Welcome Center on Railroad Avenue, this ride offers a peaceful escape into the frozen backcountry.
4. Cass Bald Knob Trip – Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass
Boards at: 12363 Cass Road, Cass, WV 24927
Even outside the official winter schedule, the Cass Bald Knob Trip feels like a cold-weather epic.
The 4.5-hour steam excursion climbs from Cass Depot up the old 1901 logging grade to Bald Knob, the third-highest point in West Virginia, where the climate mimics driving 800 miles north toward Canada.
Cooler, windier, and often flirting with frost long before snow shows up down in the valley, the summit offers bare ridgelines, patches of snow in the spruce, and long views over layered mountains.
Travel writers love to point out that this ride delivers dramatic elevation changes and scenery that shifts with every switchback.
The railroad boards at the same Cass address used for the winter specials, and Bald Knob remains one of their signature trips every year.
5. Cass Whittaker Station Trip – Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass
Boards at: 12363 Cass Road, Cass, WV 24927
If Bald Knob is the big day out, the Whittaker Station Trip is the cozy version.
This two-hour, eight-mile round-trip leaves Cass Depot at set times – typically 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. – and climbs the lower slopes of Cheat Mountain along Leatherbark Creek, where switchbacks are so steep that the engines alternately push and pull the train.
That bit of drama feels even more intense when the air is cold and you can see the exhaust hanging in the trees.
At Whittaker Station, you step off into a high-meadow clearing ringed by mountains, a setting that can look almost monochrome in late fall and early spring, with that quiet, winter-is-coming stillness hanging over everything.
There are no restrooms onboard this train, but restroom facilities are available at Whittaker Station, making this a comfortable choice for shorter winter outings.
6. Cass to Spruce Trip – Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass
Boards at: 12363 Cass Road, Cass, WV 24927
For a ride with pure hidden-in-the-mountains vibes, the Cass to Spruce Trip follows the same 1901 line out of town, climbing toward the ghost town of Spruce.
Once known as one of the coldest and highest communities east of the Rockies, Spruce sits high on Back Allegheny Mountain, and even on mild days, you can feel the temperature drop as you step off the train.
The excursion uses classic Cass rolling stock and boards from the same depot on Cass Road, with restrooms available onboard and at the stops.
In a winter-themed list, Spruce is a natural fit: the story of a town shaped by harsh mountain winters pairs perfectly with the stark spruce forest and wide, open views you get from the rail line.
7. Greenbrier Express Wild West Special – Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass
Boards at: 12363 Cass Road, Cass, WV 24927
The Greenbrier Express Wild West Special is a themed twist on the Cass-to-Durbin route.
Using the Greenbrier Express train set, it departs Cass Depot and follows the river through a tight valley framed by high ridges, then adds western-style entertainment onboard with costumed hosts and light storytelling layered over the scenery.
While this one is not marketed as a January-only ride like the Winter Special, it is still a Cass-based mountain excursion on the same line that turns to pure winter magic once the leaves drop.
For your purposes, it is another legitimate, currently-offered way to ride deep into the Alleghenies from Cass, just with a more playful, themed twist than the straight green-and-white winter runs.
Families love the extra entertainment, and the scenery delivers regardless of the season.
8. Holiday Trough – Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, Romney
Boards at: Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, 149 Eagle Dr, Romney, WV 26757
On the Holiday Trough excursion, you board vintage B&O-style coaches at Wappocomo Station outside Romney and roll straight into a snow-dusted canyon.
The three-hour round trip heads south through the famous Trough, a narrow gorge cut by the South Branch of the Potomac River, with cliffs and hardwoods towering over the water.
Inside, this is a full holiday experience: premium dining options, a three-course meal built around turkey or ham or even Christmas crab cakes, and cars trimmed in garland and lights.
Holiday Trough is explicitly sold as a winter train ride, and recent descriptions highlight decorated locomotives, snowy scenery, and families making a day of it in November and December.
The combination of canyon beauty and festive dining makes this a standout winter excursion.
9. North Pole Express – Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, Romney
Boards at: 149 Eagle Dr, Romney, WV 26757
If you are aiming for pure Christmas-movie energy, the North Pole Express out of Romney is the star.
This 75-minute evening ride follows the same South Branch corridor but focuses on story and spectacle: kids in pajamas, lights lining the right-of-way, and costumed characters reenacting scenes from classic holiday tales as the train heads toward a fully lit North Pole Estate.
At the far end, Santa boards the train, visits each family, and passes out small gifts as you make the return run to Wappocomo Station.
Everything is staged out of the Potomac Eagle’s Romney base at 149 Eagle Drive, and local coverage notes that thousands of riders come each year, with runs selling out well into late December.
This ride is magic bottled and served on rails.
10. Trough Canyon – Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, Romney
Boards at: 149 Eagle Dr, Romney, WV 26757
The Trough Canyon excursion is Potomac Eagle’s signature three-hour scenic run, and it earns the hype.
From Wappocomo Station, the train heads straight into the Trough, a remote gorge where steep rock faces hem in the river and bald eagles are regularly spotted soaring overhead or perched in sycamores along the banks.
While the core season leans spring through fall, recent visitor reviews describe chilly November trips with bare trees and long views up to the ridgeline, perfect for a wintery atmosphere even before true snow sets in.
The train uses comfortable enclosed coaches with optional open-air cars, so you can step out briefly for photos and then retreat to the warm interior as the canyon walls slip past the windows.