Where Does Train End That Starts in Blue Ridge Ga
Board the train in Blueish Ridge for a scenic excursion through the mountains. Then explore the historic sister cities of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee.
I was a guest of Georgia's Blue Ridge, simply all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post may comprise affiliate links. Please refer to our our Disclosure/Disclaimer page for more information.
Note: At the fourth dimension of publication, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is closed indefinitely, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The content of this post is evergreen, and will exist relevant when track excursions resume.
Table of Contents
- one My Northward Georgia
- 2 The Blue Ridge Breathtaking Railway
- 3 Lath the Train in Blue Ridge
- 4 Railcar Classes and Ticket Options
- iv.i Open Auto
- four.2 Closed Car
- 4.3 Premier Class
- 4.4 Concession Auto
- 5 Blueish Ridge to McCaysville
- vi McCaysville and Copperhill
- 7 McCaysville to Bluish Ridge
- 8 Planning Your Trip
- 9 Lodging
- 10 Due north Georgia Destinations & Scenic Railways
- 11 We Would Honey to Hear From You
- 12 Pin this Postal service!
My Northward Georgia
I cruel in love with the North Georgia mountains more than than ii decades ago.
The region then captured my heart that in 2003 I decided to buy a log cabin on an acre of land that overlooks a mixed hardwood woods in summer and autumn, and a mountain mural in winter and jump.
I named my beloved cabin Pinebox, and through the years information technology has become what writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings calls my "small place of enchantment."
Perched on a mountainside between Bluish Ridge and Blairsville, Pinebox has been the perfect home base for day hikes, scenic drives, and chasing more waterfalls and swimming holes than I can count.
Exploring North Georgia's historic pocket-size towns is likewise peachy fun!
The boondocks of Blue Ridge, with its charming brick buildings, restaurants, shops, and galleries, and proximity to outdoor recreation, has evolved equally a popular tourist destination for every season.
And Bluish Ridge'south virtually well-known attraction was birthed through an development of its ain.
The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
The central feature in downtown Blue Ridge is the railroad that bisects the boondocks, and the adjacent century-old depot is the signal of origin for the Blueish Ridge Scenic Railway.
In 1886, the Marietta & North Georgia Railroad laid tracks from Marietta to the mountain community that would be incorporated every bit Blue Ridge the post-obit year. The line extended further to Copperhill, Tennessee, initiating passenger service and transporting freight for the mining and timber industries.
The railroad ceased performance in 1987, and soon a group of Bluish Ridge citizens began exploring ways to reinvent the vintage rails.
The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway made its inaugural run in 1998, and today the heritage line has become i of the region's most popular attractions.
Although my motel is a brusque drive from Bluish Ridge, for many years an excursion on the heritage railway eluded me.
Then, when the time rolled around for my called brothers Jim Swilley and Ken Marshall to drive up from Atlanta, like they practice every autumn, they agreed it would be the perfect opportunity to enjoy a breathtaking mountain railroad train ride together.
Board the Train in Blueish Ridge
A ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway will have you on a 26-mile rail journey northward from Blue Ridge to the town of McCaysville, Georgia. The excursion is four hours total, including an hour-long ride to McCaysville, a ii-hour layover in town, and a one-hour return ride to Blue Ridge.
The railroad train operates from March through Dec with various seasonal schedules and special events.
To allow time for parking, collecting our pre-paid tickets at the depot, and exploring Blue Ridge before the 11:00 AM deviation, nosotros arrived at the train depot around 9:45 AM.
It was a absurd and overcast forenoon.
A caboose is home to the Bluish Ridge visitor center, and a boxcar houses the gift shop, both situated along an elevated platform attached to the depot.
Coffee and tea shops, breakfast spots, and public restrooms are located inside walking altitude of the depot and train.
Boarding begins 45 minutes prior to departure, but we waited nigh our railcar and boarded with a few minutes to spare.
Seats are not assigned, then if yous want to sit with your group you should program to board early.
Be advised that the train departs Bluish Ridge and McCaysville on time and will not await for stragglers.
Railcar Classes and Ticket Options
Our hosts gave u.s. an end-to-terminate tour of the train during our excursion. Nosotros were able to view the diverse railcar classes to better assist readers with choosing the choice that best suits their needs.
Open up Car
To me, the purpose of embarking on a scenic rail excursion is to experience the "scenery."
Fresh air, unobstructed views, and immersion in the outdoors are the all-time reasons to choose an open up automobile.
Closed Motorcar
Disallowment inclement weather, I cannot think of a adept reason to accept a breathtaking runway journeying in a closed car.
I am non opposed to cushy seats and climate-controlled environments, just for a two-hour breathtaking train ride, I would opt for outside.
Premier Form
A footstep-upwardly from the closed motorcar in both amenities and price, premier class includes:
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- reclining seats
- unlimited not-alcoholic beverages
- a small catered meal outbound and dessert on render
- a complimentary grouping photo
- a sheet tote bag
- adults merely
Notwithstanding, I am not tempted.
If I were traveling cross-country, premier course would be the way to get, just for a two-hour scenic ride, requite me the open air.
In case you are wondering, there are twelve restrooms and two baby-changing stations on the railroad train.
Concession Automobile
Guests are allowed to bring snacks and even a small libation aboard the railroad train. But for your convenience, there is a concession car in the center of the train that offers a option of snacks and beverages.
Alcohol and smoking are non allowed on lath the train.
Bluish Ridge to McCaysville
Shortly after the railroad train left the station, the sunday broke through the clouds, bringing calorie-free to the landscape and warming the breeze generated past the moving railcars.
We chugged past rural landscapes populated with homesteads, gardens, and pastures.
Earlier long the rails aligned with the Toccoa River, a route they paralleled for the balance of the ride to McCaysville.
Auto hosts narrated the ride, drawing attention to points of interest along the way.
As with any railroad, the conductor made his rounds, punching tickets and greeting passengers.
The fall leaves were slightly past elevation, but the beauty of the flavor was undeniable around every curve.
Bigfoot sightings grow in the North Georgia mountains, and railway passengers catch a glimpse of this furry phantom on every circuit.
Equally the train approaches McCaysville, information technology aligns not simply with the Toccoa River, but also the River Route (CR 96).
McCaysville and Copperhill
Passengers have a ii-hour layover in McCaysville, Georgia, and its sis urban center of Copperhill, Tennessee.
At that place is no rhyme nor reason to the layout of the conjoined municipalities. The Georgia-Tennessee state line cuts through streets, sidewalks, parking lots, buildings, businesses, and even a church.
Imagine having dinner or attending Sunday services with someone who is under the aforementioned roof, yet sitting in another state . . . .
It is a novelty, and perhaps not as impressive as straddling the Prime number Meridian, merely even so, standing in ii states at once makes for a fun photo op!
The state line crosses the river just north of the 1911 Bridge Street Bridge, and Georgia'southward Toccoa River becomes the Ocoee River in Tennessee.
Railcar hosts distribute print copies of the above map to guests prior to off-boarding in McCaysville, but do yourself a favor and download a PDF copy in advance as a resource for planning your two-hr layover. The brochure includes a central to restaurants, shops, and services in town.
If your circuit arrives at noon like ours, I advise you make up one's mind in advance where you would similar to consume tiffin and make a beeline for it. Some of the more popular restaurants had lines out the door, and we spent a skillful bit of time deciding where to swallow.
Note: Copperhill has a station for the Tennessee Valley Railroad, another scenic heritage railway that originates in Chattanooga and Etowah, Tennessee.
McCaysville to Blue Ridge
With only two hours to spend in town, information technology is wise to keep an eye on the clock and brainstorm making your way back to the McCaysville station for the return trip.
Considering there is no turntable or siderail for repositioning the engine for the return to Bluish Ridge, the railroad train is equipped with 2 engines, one at each finish.
A highlight of the rail circuit is crossing the 1926 Toccoa River Bridge. The views are lovely, and the historic steel construction is a step back in time.
Although the rail road between McCaysville and Blue Ridge is the same going and coming, the change in direction and angle of the lord's day permit guests to view the mountain landscape in a different calorie-free.
You may want to mix information technology up and sit on the opposite side of your railcar for the render trip.
If y'all plan to explore, shop, or eat dinner in Blueish Ridge or elsewhere in Fannin County, y'all volition notice a wealth of downloadable PDF resources on the Georgia's Blue Ridge Self-Guided Tours and Maps webpage.
Planning Your Trip
The best way to book your excursion on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is to buy advance tickets online.
Digital calendars display special events and varying schedules to assist guests with selecting the all-time dates and times for their trips.
Guests may purchase same-twenty-four hours tickets at the depot, if available, merely it is best to buy tickets early, especially if y'all desire to volume your excursion during the meridian fall season or on weekends.
A handicap-accessible motorcoach is available, fully equipped with stair and elevator access, and an attainable restroom. Reservations for this motorcar can be made past calling 877-413-8724.
Lodging
PInebox, my Due north Georgia mountain cabin is situated 16 miles from Blue Ridge, and is available for booking on Airbnb. We would love to host you for your annual vacation or weekend getaway!
Click here for more Bluish Ridge lodging options on TripAdvisor!
North Georgia Destinations & Scenic Railways
Our Design Your Own Georgia Road Trip resources links to all of Backroad Planet'south Georgia content statewide.
You can too navigate direct to some of our North Georgia regional posts:
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- North Georgia Swimming Holes & Waterfalls You lot Tin can Swim In
- 10 Favorite North Georgia Waterfalls
- five Elusive North Georgia Waterfalls
- Toccoa River Swinging Bridge
- Take a Drive on the Cherohala Skyway!
More journeys by rail on Backroad Planet:
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- All Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer! An Insider's Guide
- Take the Amtrak Auto Train from Florida to Virginia
- The Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel
- Ride Arizona's Verde Canyon Railroad
We Would Love to Hear From You
We relish dialogue with our readers, especially when they share off-the-beaten-path destinations and useful travel tips. Have you experienced a Blue Ridge Breathtaking Railway excursion? If so, nosotros would love to hear about your experience. Nosotros invite yous to leave your comments and questions below, and we ever respond!
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Howard Blount is founder and editor of the travel website Backroad Planet. He has traveled internationally since boyhood and lived abroad in Mexico, Chile, and Paraguay. Now his passion is navigating the roads-less-traveled of this amazing planet in search of annihilation rare and remote. On the stuffy side, "Mr. Blount" has been a writer, consultant, and published author with houses including Simon & Schuster and McGraw-Loma.
Retired from a 35-yr career as a middle school teacher, Howard enjoys spending his fourth dimension on anything that includes mountains, waterfalls, dachshunds, gospel choirs, books, archetype movies, autumn, sandhill cranes, Florida springs, pelting, gloomy days, log cabins, abandoned sites, unearthed history, genealogy, documentaries, To Kill a Mockingbird, castles, cathedrals, Civil Rights history common cold sheets, National Park Passports, quotes, Reba Rambo, Dionne Warwick, annihilation Apple, all things British, Jesus, and lists.
And on a random note, Howard is a fourth cousin once removed to Truman Capote.
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Source: https://backroadplanet.com/train-in-blue-ridge-georgia/
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