Sample Chapter - Nantahala Gorge Excursion - Riding the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

Nantahala Gorge Excursion


After our November, 2015 trip on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad; we decided to take the other trip, the Nantahala Gorge Excursion, the next year in October. This trip took place on October 24, 2016.
Arrival at the Station

Riding the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

Riding the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

We arrived at the train station just after eight o’clock. I parked the car after leaving Lynne off at the station. She collected our tickets and we got in line. Outside temperatures were around 39, cold and crisp. It was sunny and would remain so for the remainder of the day. We were taking the Nantahala Gorge Excursion, which departed at 9:00 AM and would return at 1:30 with an hour layover at Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for an hour. Train boarded at 9:00. We had table L in the McFarland car. We had a table for two on the opposite side of the best views. Train departed at 9:00. We had first class tickets, enclosed car. The ride included brunch, which the server handed out around 11:00. Tessa, our server, was on her first solo trip. She was excellent.   

Riding the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

The brunch of Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole and Brunch-Sausage & Bacon Quiche was delicious. We cut each other’s in half and had some of each. The train crosses a trestle over Fontana Lake and follows the course of the Nantahala River for much of the excursion. We had some fabulous views of both the lake and the river. They have drawn down the lake to wintertime levels and it is now down about 60%.

Riding the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

The train passes through the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and then continues on about five miles to a switch. At this point, they stop the train, maneuver the locomotive onto the switch and travel to the opposite end of the train. Here, they hook back up and return. The train stops for about an hour at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Passengers can get out and walk about. There are a couple of shops there, but the focus of this place is as a rafting and zip line expedition center. On weekends, they raise the water level from the dam to make the rafting more challenging.

Riding the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

After departing the NOC, we traveled back to Bryson City. I spent a lot of the time on the return trip on the platform between the train cars. From this vantage, the passenger can get some great shots. A woman photographer and I shared the platform, exchanging places occasionally to give each other the best spot. We arrived back around 1:30. The sights of the mountains, sounds of the train and fragrances from the mountain air provide an exhilarating experience. Even the faint creosote smell from piles of cast off ties along the line seemed pleasant.

Riding the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad

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