SeeCalifornia.com

California is a really great place to ride old trains. You can hop aboard vintage trains such as the Skunk Train at Willits, the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, Western Railway Museum in Suisun City, Niles Canyon Railway (home to wildflower rides) in Fremont & Sunol, and Fillmore & Western Railway Company in Ventura County, just to name a few.

But one of our favorite train experiences is riding the steam engine #7, the Sonora Shay, up to the top of Bear Mountain in the redwood forests of Santa Cruz County. Located in the beautiful Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park near the town of Felton, the train ride is offered by Roaring Camp Railroads and takes just over an hour to complete its round trip, though track conditions can extend the time when the train engineer and crew must get out and remove pieces of wood and debris from the track. They do it just like was done over 100 years ago when these gauge trains were used to transport lumber from the forest. Trains in woods were often slow and the work was intensive as the track constantly needed to be installed or repaired. When you’re out among the towering trees in open cars, watching the train engine steam rising into the sky, filtered by partial light, it’s magic.

The Sonora Engine is just over 100, built in 1911 by Lima Locomotive Works. This 60-ton Shay engine is one of the few fully operational Shay engines in existence today! See roaringcamp.com or get tickets