Greenbrier Ghost Historic Site and Cass Scenic Railroad

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia, preserves a working collection of shay locomotives — geared steam engines designed for steep mountain grades — operating over 11 miles of railroad originally built in 1901 to haul timber from the high ridges of the Allegheny Highlands. The park occupies the former company mill town of Cass, a National Historic District, where workers' houses, a company store, and mill infrastructure still stand alongside the restored railroad operations. Shay locomotives power excursion trips from the Cass station up a series of switchbacks and grades as steep as 11 percent, ascending through second-growth forest to Whittaker Station (the intermediate stop) and continuing to the summit at Bald Knob, the second-highest point in West Virginia at 4,842 feet. The Bald Knob excursion, which runs on select dates during the operating season, takes approximately 4.5 hours round trip and ascends through red spruce forest to open summit meadows with panoramic views across the Pocahontas County highlands. Shorter Whittaker excursions run more frequently and take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. The park's operating season runs from May through October; trains operate on select dates rather than daily, and the schedule changes each year. A visitor center in the former company store interprets the timber industry history and the railroad's engineering heritage. The town of Cass also offers rental cabooses and company houses for overnight stays on the property. Fall foliage along the rail corridor from late September through October makes the Bald Knob excursion one of the most scenic steam train rides in the eastern United States.