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The railroad's Bald Knob Trip takes riders up Cheat Mountain to Bald Knob, West Virginia's third highest peak at 4,842 feet. From this often-misty mountain perch you'll see

rolling forests (which, no surprise, are gorgeous in autumn) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The 11-mile railroad line was constructed to haul lumber to Cass, a company town

built by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company in 1901 (the company store is still in business — enjoy some hand-scooped ice cream from the soda fountain). Many of the passenger cars are

refurbished logging cars, and they're pulled by steam locomotives, just like in Cass's lumber heyday. COST: $75 per person for adults; $80 from mid-September to early November

RESERVATIONS: 304-636-9477 Blaine Harrington III / Alamy Stock Photo CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD This 64-mile trip has it all: rugged mountains, wood-beam tunnels, river crossings,

rustic towns, aspen trees, and occasional bear sightings. The railroad runs between Antonito, Colo., and Chama, N.M. (you can board in either town), climbing over the San Juan Mountains to

the Conejos Valley. After departing from Chama, the locomotive scales the 10,015-foot-high Cumbres Pass. The summit view includes alpine meadows with wildflowers and dark green conifers, and

later you'll steam above the 600-foot-deep Toltec Gorge. The train has been featured in more than 20 films, including _Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid_ and _Indiana Jones and the

Last Crusade_. To feel the sun and smell the locomotive smoke, ride in the open-air Gondola Car. COST: Full-day adult rates start at $122.50; the 2022 season runs from June 11 to Oct. 23.

RESERVATIONS: 888-286-2737 Ken L Howard / Alamy Stock Photo GRAND CANYON RAILWAY Instead of sitting in traffic jams to enter the hugely popular national park, take the train to the South

Rim, as tourists have done since 1901. The 65-mile trip starts in Williams, Ariz., and heads through Ponderosa pine forests and desert prairies. You'll also pass the San Francisco

Peaks, the highest point in Arizona (elevation: 12,600 feet). The six rail cars range from 1920s-era Pullmans to the two-floor Luxury Dome, which includes a private bar and a dome for

viewing. Watch for animals such as California condors and pronghorns (which look like antelopes). Train trivia: The railway's steam engines, which run once a month on select Saturdays,

are fueled by recycled french fry oil from local restaurants. COST: Rates range from $67 to $226 RESERVATIONS: 800-843-8724