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It may be short, but the historic route showcases iconic California scenery.
California’s iconic coastal redwoods are majestic: They are the tallest trees on earth, often growing to more than 300 feet high and living as long as 2,000 years. Back in the late 1800s, the logging industry in the West relied on trains to move the redwoods’ tremendous tree trunks from the coastal forests and mountains to flatter, inland regions. Today, coastal redwood forests are preserved, of course, but in some places, trains continue to move on down the track, helping nature and train buffs enjoy these scenic areas via locomotive.
In Felton, California, about seven miles outside of Santa Cruz, Roaring Camp Railroads does just that. The company was established in 1963, but trains have run here since 1875, so guests today get a feeling for life back then, with historic engines pulling them through the redwood forest along narrow-gauge grades—and so close to redwood trees you can almost touch them. Travelers can choose between two routes: a 75-minute ride up Bear Mountain and back to the village aboard the Dixiana steam train and a longer trip between Roaring Camp and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
The trains are working pieces of history themselves. Named for the Virginia area it served for years as a mining train, Dixiana is a two-truck steam engine that makes a cartoon-like (and wildly loud) “toot, toot” when the conductor releases the steam valve. It pulls open-air cars along its forest and mountain route—a slow ride, as it would have been back in the day. The wind may not blow your hair, but you’d be hard-pressed to beat the view.
The beach train is part of the historic Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific Railway, with vintage diesel locomotives running on a line that dates from 1875. You can catch it at either end, then enjoy a trip through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, seeing a gorge and a 19th-century tunnel as you go. The ride is an hour each way, but you can opt for a round-trip excursion with an hour or five hours at the shore.
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Families heading to Roaring Camp can tack additional kid-friendly activities onto their day. There’s gold panning and candle making, for example, plus lots of outdoor space to run or picnic.
Reserving train tickets in advance is suggested. Prices start at $27 for kids (those under age two ride free) and $42 for adults. There’s a full calendar of special events, too, including holiday-themed tours on illuminated trains, an Easter Egg Hunt in the spring, and dinner excursions on select dates throughout the year.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
