If you had shown me the weather forecast beforehand—rainy, foggy and chilly—I probably wouldn’t have described it as perfect sightseeing weather.
But for a fall train ride through the North Georgia mountains?
It was kind of perfect.
We arrived in Blue Ridge on a misty, foggy morning in early November, bundled ourselves into jackets, hats and gloves, and climbed aboard an open-air car on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.
And before long, the roads and towns seemed to disappear behind us.
The tracks wound through the trees, the leaves were still showing off their fall colors, and everything felt misty, quiet and tucked away from the rest of the world.
Honestly?
This is the kind of travel I love.
Not because we were going somewhere extravagant.
Not because we had a packed itinerary.
But because for a few hours, it felt like we had gotten away from everything.
No hustle. No rushing from attraction to attraction.
Just a train, fall leaves, chilly mountain air and nowhere else we needed to be.
And that feeling of disconnecting from everyday life?
That’s one of my favorite things about train travel.
Tiny Trip Snapshot 🚆
Where: Blue Ridge → McCaysville, Georgia & Copperhill, Tennessee
When we went: Early November
Trip: 4-hour Extended excursion
Train car: Open air
Best for: Families, couples, fall trips, train lovers and anyone who wants a slower day in the mountains
Our verdict: Absolutely worth doing at least once—especially in the fall 🍂
Wait…Where Does the Train Actually Go? 😂
This can get a little confusing because you’re riding the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, but the train doesn’t just circle around Blue Ridge.
The trip begins at the historic depot in downtown Blue Ridge and travels through the North Georgia countryside to the neighboring towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee.
The current Extended excursion is a 26-mile round trip and includes about a two-hour layover to explore the towns before boarding the train back to Blue Ridge. There’s also a shorter Express option on select dates that travels the same route without the layover. Blue Ridge Railway
We specifically chose the longer trip because if a train was going to drop me in another little mountain town…
Obviously I wanted to get off and wander around. 😂
Open Air in November—Were We Nuts? 🍂
There are both open-air and enclosed coach options.
We chose open air.
In November.
On a rainy morning.
And I would choose it again.
We wore jackets, hats and gloves, and I remember being completely comfortable. Obviously, North Georgia weather can vary wildly, so check the forecast before assuming my November will look anything like your November.
But being able to sit right beside the open window made the scenery feel like part of the ride rather than something we were watching through glass.
The railway’s open-air cars currently have outward-facing padded bench seats beside large open windows. Their closed coaches are climate controlled with enclosed windows and seats arranged in groups of four. Blue Ridge Railway
For me?
Fall leaves + mountain air + open train car wins.
The Ride Was the Best Part 🚆
There are train trips where the train simply gets you somewhere.
And then there are trains where the train IS the adventure.
This was definitely the second kind.
The ride itself was beautiful.
The tracks felt tucked away from everything, winding through the North Georgia countryside with stretches that felt surprisingly remote.
It wasn’t crowded on our trip, either, which made the whole thing feel even quieter.
The rain and fog actually added to it.
There was something incredibly cozy about sitting in that open-air car bundled up in fall clothes while the wet trees and colorful leaves passed by.
And because every proper chilly fall activity should involve a warm drink somewhere, there’s also a concession car on the train where you can purchase snacks and hot or cold beverages. Blue Ridge Railway
Chilly train + fall leaves + hot cocoa = I’m happy.
And Then…The Rain Stopped ☀️
This may have been the best possible weather combination.
It was rainy and foggy while we were riding the train, which gave us all the cozy fall-train vibes.
Then we arrived in McCaysville/Copperhill…
and the rain stopped.
Perfect.
Now we could actually walk around without looking like four drowned tourists. 😂
Lunch With a View 🍔
Since we had time to kill, we opted for lunch at Burra Burra on the River in McCaysville.
And I remember two things very clearly:
The burgers were delicious.
And…
STEAK-CUT FRIES.
Why are steak-cut fries so hard to find?!
I don’t need shoestring fries pretending they’re substantial.
Give me the potato. 😂
Burra Burra sits right along the river, so we had the river and bridge as the backdrop while we ate. The restaurant is still there today and currently focuses on steaks, seafood and Southern-style dishes. Burra Burra
Beautiful view.
Good burger.
Steak-cut fries.
I’m an easy woman to please.
Two Hours in Two States 🍦
McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee sit right beside one another at the state line, so our two-hour layover gave us plenty of time to wander.
And that’s exactly what we did.
We didn’t have a checklist.
We didn’t have reservations.
We didn’t buy anything.
We just wandered.
We walked through the little downtown area, popped into some shops, took pictures and enjoyed having nowhere particularly important to be.
Eventually, naturally, we found ice cream.
Tiny Traveler Sweet Stop 🍦
We stopped at Happy Bear Ice Cream & Treats in McCaysville.
I couldn’t tell you what flavor anyone ordered.
I couldn’t tell you who got a cone versus a cup.
But I CAN tell you that we got ice cream.
Priorities. 😂
Happy Bear is still operating in McCaysville and currently serves ice cream, sundaes, shakes and coffee drinks. Happy Bear Ice Cream
Sometimes I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to do something every minute we’re traveling.
This wasn’t that kind of stop.
We had two hours to walk around, see what we found, take pictures, eat some ice cream and enjoy being somewhere different.
No itinerary required.
And then it was time to climb back aboard and enjoy the train ride back to Blue Ridge.
Tiny Tip: Don’t Arrive at Train Time 🚆
Arrive 45 minutes early for train check in. This gives you time to walk the train, go to the bathroom, and snap some photos before boarding.
Seats aren’t assigned within your designated car—they’re first come, first served—so arriving early can also help if you want your group sitting together. Blue Ridge Railway
This is not the morning to pull into the parking lot at 9:58 for a 10:00 train.
The train does not care that somebody couldn’t find their other glove. 😂
Tiny Tips 🚆
Choose the longer trip if you have the time. We loved having the two-hour layover. If you primarily want the train experience, the shorter Express may be enough; if you want to wander McCaysville and Copperhill too, I’d choose the Extended trip.
Arrive early. The railway currently recommends 45 minutes before departure. Blue Ridge Railway
Book ahead for fall. The railway recommends advance tickets and notes that rides can sell out weeks ahead. Blue Ridge Railway
Don’t automatically rule out open air because it’s chilly. We bundled up and were comfortable in early November. Just check the forecast because Georgia weather enjoys keeping everyone humble.
Bring layers. Jackets, hats and gloves worked well for us.
Don’t over-plan the layover. Two hours sounds short, but it was plenty of time for what we wanted—walking around, looking through shops, taking pictures and getting ice cream.
And maybe don’t be too disappointed if the forecast says fog. It might make the train ride better.
Wait…This Is in Georgia?! 🍑
One of the reasons I love exploring Georgia is that you can leave Metro Atlanta and, a couple of hours later, feel like you’ve gone considerably farther.
Mountain towns.
Rivers.
Fall foliage.
A train winding through the woods.
A little town sitting on the Tennessee state line.
And absolutely no airport required.
This is the kind of Georgia day trip that makes me wonder why we’re always looking so far away for the next adventure.
Worth the Drive From Atlanta?
Yes.
Especially in the fall.
I’d make this a full-day trip rather than treating the railway as the only activity.
Take the longer train ride.
Choose open air if the weather works for you.
Wander without an agenda.
Get the ice cream.
Eat the steak-cut fries.
And don’t panic if you wake up to a little fog.
Because sometimes the weather that looks disappointing from your bedroom window…
turns out to be exactly the weather the memory needed. 🍂
Remember When We…? ❤️
I don’t remember which shops we walked into.
I don’t remember what flavor ice cream everyone ordered.
And years from now, I’m probably not going to remember exactly how long the train ride took.
But I remember the fog.
I remember the fall leaves.
I remember being bundled up in an open-air train car.
I remember how quiet everything felt once we got away from the roads and into the trees.
And I remember that feeling I love so much when we travel—
for a little while, the rest of the world felt very far away.
Those are usually the parts that stick.
And that’s kind of the whole point.
Tiny traveler. Big adventures. No airplanes required. 🚆❤️
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