Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in West Virginia offers a remarkable journey into America’s logging and railroad heritage aboard authentic Shay locomotives — the same geared steam engines that once hauled timber out of the Appalachian highlands. The train climbs Cheat Mountain through a series of switchbacks to Bald Knob, the second-highest point in West Virginia, offering panoramic views of the Monongahela National Forest. With an elevation gain of nearly 2,000 feet along 11 miles of track, passengers experience one of the steepest standard railroad climbs in the eastern United States. The town of Cass itself is a preserved company town, with original workers’ cottages available for overnight stays.