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Train Tours
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Train Tours Overview
You don't have to be a train expert to enjoy a ride on a train. Whether you're looking to ride the rails through California's premier wine regions or spend the day shopping in Mexico, California has a train to suit your interests. All of the trains listed below are vintage machines. Some have been in movies and others hauled lumber or gold ore during the gold rush of 1849. If you haven't ever riden on a train, now is the time to experience something you've been missing. Many trains offer open-air cars for unobstructed viewing of our state's natural beauty.
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Napa Valley Wine Train is located between Highways 29 & 121 in the heart of Napa Valley. Choose between several vintage car options, including a glass dome car with panoramic viewing, while traveling through wine country. Tours are available for lunch or dinner and the dinner excursions become a formal affair. Tours are 3-hours and some stop at wineries in the region. Check their calendar for live entertainment schedules featuring swing, blues, jazz, quartets and more.
Napa Valley Wine Train
1275 McKinstry Street
Napa, California 94559
(800) 427-4124
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Niles Canyon Railway follows Highway 84 between Interstates 880 and 680, between the towns of Fremont and Sunol. 30-minute rides aboard historic, restored trains between the historic Sunol station and Fremont station. Route navigates the edge of Niles Canyon and crosses several bridges. Choose to return on the same train or depart to see the many historic trains at the Sunol station and return on a later train. A donation of $5-$10 is suggested for a round trip excursion.
Niles Canyon Railway - Sunol Depot
6 Kilkare Road
Sunol, California 94586
(925) 862-9063
Niles Canyon Railway - Niles Station
37001 Mission Boulevard
Fremont, California 94536
(925) 862-9063
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Roaring Camp Railroads is located between Highways 9 and 17 in the town of Felton. Choose between an 1890 steam train that travels through redwood forest or a more modern train that passes through a redwood forest and stops at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for more entertainment. Pass over steel truss bridges and through a tunnel on your way down the mountain to the beach. Special events include Civil War reenactments, train robberies, ghost trains and more.
Roaring Camp Railroads
5355 Graham Hill Road
Felton, California 95018
(831) 335-4484
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Pacific Southwest Railway is located off Interstate 8 in the town of Campo. Choose from excursions to several Mexican border towns Including Tecate. The Tecate tour stops at the Tecate Brewery where one of Mexico's finest beers is made. Choose to tour the brewery or explore the charming town of Tecate on your own. Gather a group and charter a private car for one of these adventures.
TIP: At the time of this writing in 2010, it is not recommended for tourists to enter Mexico due to excessive violence. The Mexican government is waging war on drugs and the response from the drug cartels includes violent acts on tourists.
Pacific Southwest Railway
31123-1/2 Highway 94
Campo, California 91906
(619) 478-9937
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Fillmore & Western Railway Company is located off highway 126 in Fillmore. Follow the Santa Clara River while riding the rails for lunch our dinner. There are many tours to choose from including murder mysteries, speghetti westerns, 4th of July and more. Typical excursion is 3-hours.
Fillmore & Western Railway Company
351 Santa Clara Street
Fillmore, California 93015
(805) 524-2653
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Skunk Train historic train rides through towering trees of the mendocino forest. Spot deer drinking from the Noyo River, as you chug the 40 miles of pristine redwood forest through tunnels, over bridges and past open meadows, that follow the coastal "Redwood Route". The Skunk Train started out as a logging route in 1885 and now carries visitors to and from the historic logging towns of Fort Bragg and Willits. Take the train for a scenic ride or reserve a spot for dinner and wine tasting. The Skunk Train offers specialty tours for holidays and celebrations such as 'Crab and Wine Days'.
Skunk Train Fort Bragg Depot
100 W. Laurel Street
Fort Bragg, California 95437
(800) 866-1690
Skunk Train Willits Depot
299 East Commercial Street
Willits, California 95490
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Shasta Sunset Dinner Train is located in McCloud on the south side of Mt. Shasta, east of Interstate 5 on Highway 89. Sunset dinner tours in lavishly restored 1916 railcars, traverse through Shasta National Forest offering panoramic views of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, the Trinity Alps and more. Daytime excursions are also offered aboard open railcars with unobstructed views.
Shasta Sunset Dinner Train
328 Main Street
McCloud, California 96057
(800) 733-2141
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Sierra Railroad Dinner Train is located in Oakdale just west of Yosemite National Park. From Oakdale many options are available for trips through Gold Country. Example of packages offered are overnighters in Jamestown or Sonora, train and raft tours, dinner trips and much more. Available shows include murder mysteries, train robberies & gunfights, and movie railroad trips.
Sierra Railroad Dinner Train
220 South Sierra Avenue
Oakdale, California 95361
(209) 848-2100
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Sugar Pine Railroad is located in Fishcamp just south of Yosemite National Park off Highway 41. The route traverses through the redroods from Fishcamp to Oakhurst and back. Many tour options are available including full meals and train cars include open-air and enclosed.
Note: Check out our Yosemite page for more to see and do throughout Yosemite.
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
56001 Highway 41
Fish Camp, California 93623
(559) 683-7273
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Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is located in Jamestown off highway 49 at 5th Avenue and Reservoir Road. This is an operational railroad museum and train depot. Featured attraction is a short, historic, steam locomotive ride through gold country and back. The grounds include several historic trains, some of which were used in movies, a roundhouse, blacksmith shop and gift shop.
Railtown 1897
18115 5th Avenue
Jamestown, California 95327
(209) 984-3953
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Sacramento River Train is located off Interstate 5 in Woodland. This two and one-half hour train ride takes you from Woodland to the Sacramento River where it then follows the river to West Sacramento, Cross over an 8,000 foot long wooden trestle, while traveling through the state's most production farming region. Murder mystery, train robbery and many more themed tours are available. When in season, sample fresh fruit and products from the area at Uncle Ray's Fruit Stand.
Sacramento River Train
341 Industrial Way
Woodland, California 95776
(530) 666-6756
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