Cass Scenic Railroad
Scenic railway · West Virginia
Restored Shay geared locomotives haul open-air cars up Back Allegheny Mountain from a preserved 1901 logging town, with fall excursions climbing to Bald Knob and Cheat Mountain for sweeping views. The state park's trains run under lease by the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad.
Don’t miss
Color nearby peaks: October 4–October 8
Color builds from September 27 · mostly bare by October 28
Sampled at Cass Scenic Railroad’s own coordinates and elevation (764 m) rather than a regional average.
12 weather points cover West Virginia, and the model needs no correction to land on 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against West Virginia's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 6 days earlier. How the forecast works
When to go to Cass Scenic Railroad
Good color holds through about October 15, giving you roughly 18 days from the first turn to past peak. That is about 9 days earlier than West Virginia as a whole. Height explains the gap, since this sits at 2,507 ft. It sits at 2,507 ft, high enough to turn before the valleys do.
Cass Scenic Railroad on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of West Virginia, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Cass Scenic Railroad peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 4–October 8 (best estimate October 6). Color starts around September 27 and is mostly bare by October 28.
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