Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway at 241 Depot St in Blue Ridge, north Georgia, operates excursion trains along a restored section of the historic Louisville and Nashville Railroad's Murphy Branch, completed through this mountain corridor in 1890. The railway runs approximately 13 miles from the Blue Ridge depot through the Toccoa River valley to the adjacent border towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, returning for a 26-mile round trip completed in approximately four hours including a two-hour layover.

The journey follows the Toccoa River for much of its length through a forested mountain corridor in the Cohutta Wilderness foothills. The line crosses the river on a restored trestle and passes through a single-track mountain rock cut. Passengers ride in open-air or enclosed coaches renovated from original rolling stock. The route allows views of the river, the surrounding hardwood and mixed conifer forest, and in fall, the peak foliage color of the north Georgia mountains.

In McCaysville and Copperhill, the two-hour layover allows passengers to walk the twin towns' commercial strip straddling the Georgia-Tennessee state line — a painted line on the sidewalk marks the border — and dine at riverside restaurants. The Toccoa River in McCaysville is a known trout fishing destination and is visible from the small riverside park.

The railway offers coach, first class, and club car seating at ascending price points, with table service available in the club car. Seasonal and themed departures — including fall foliage trains, a Valentine's Day dinner train, and holiday trains in November and December — are offered year-round. October departures are the most popular and sell out months in advance. The depot in downtown Blue Ridge is surrounded by the town's boutique and antique shopping district, making Blue Ridge itself a worthwhile half-day destination before or after the rail journey.