Nantahala Gorge Excursion
TAKE A TRAIN RIDE ALONG SIDE THE BEAUTIFUL NANTAHALA RIVER ON THE NANTAHALA GORGE EXCURSION! DEPARTING FROM BRYSON CITY, THIS 4½ HOUR ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION CARRIES YOU 44 MILES TO THE NANTAHALA GORGE AND BACK AGAIN ARRIVING AT THE BRYSON CITY DEPOT.
Tickets will go on sale
Monday afternoon, July 28th!
The Steam of the Smokies is alive and well in the Great Smoky Mountains, offering a passenger excursion with the thrill of rolling through Western North Carolina's hills and valleys behind a piece of history. The #1702 locomotive dates to 1942, where the engine's construction was an official commissioned WWII Steam Engine plan. It is of the world's largest engine class and is one of two remaining in the United States. There's nothing like a ride behind steam!
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has become a favorite of film producers over the years. The railroad was used in the filming of the 1996 comedy, My Fellow Americans, starring Jack Lemmon and James Garner, when they stumble onto a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four. Train scenes in the 1998 movie, Forces of Nature, starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock, also were filmed on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
On Saturday, September 6th, 2025, the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will sponsor our Steam in the Smokies train excursion - a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through the majestic mountains and beautiful countryside of western North Carolina from Bryson City, NC, through the Nantahala Gorge, and back to Bryson City.
Our scenic rail excursion covers a lot of the current operating trackage of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The track follows the route of the former Southern Railway's "Murphy Branch Line". The line was established in 1891, with a maximum 5.8 percent grade and many bridges. From Bryson City we rise to Fontana Lake as we follow the Little Tennessee River and cross the Fontana Lake Trestle. We pass the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and enter the breathtaking Nantahala Gorge, following the shoreline of the exciting Nantahala River. At the end of the gorge, we trace the tracks back to Bryson City, stopping for a short break at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
TICKETS
All classes offer seating in vintage, restored passenger cars. There are restrooms throughout the train. Tickets and pre-purchased meals may be ordered online only!
[IMPORTANT NOTE: THOSE ORDERING TICKETS SEPARATELY, BUT WISHING TO BE SEATED TOGETHER, MUST SPECIFY THIS ON THE ORDER FORM]
CLASSES OF SERVICE
FIRST CLASS [ADULTS 21 AND OVER ONLY]
Ticket price is $185/adult [ADULTS 21 AND OVER ONLY]
