Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 West-virginia — Ride vintage Shay steam locomotives up Bald Knob (4,861 ft) — the same engines that hauled timber from these mountains a century ago! Cass was a company logging town (est. 1901) and the Shay engines are the only geared locomotives still running on their original track. The ride to Bald Knob reaches the 3rd highest point in WV!

Visitor Information

About Cass Scenic Railroad

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park preserves the last operating Shay geared locomotive railroad in the world. Built in 1901 to haul lumber from the Allegheny Mountains, the railroad’s Shay locomotives — designed to climb impossibly steep grades — carried logs that fueled West Virginia’s timber boom. The 11-mile trip climbs to Bald Knob (4,861 feet), the third-highest point in the state, with panoramic views of the Greenbrier Valley and Monongahela National Forest.

Things to Do

Riding the historic Shay locomotive to Bald Knob summit (4,861 feet), staying in restored company houses, exploring the lumber boom ghost town, stargazing at the Green Bank Observatory (nearby), and riding the last operating Shay railroad on Earth.

Plan Your Visit

Train rides run May through October — reserve tickets in advance. The Bald Knob trip (4.5 hours, $42 adults) climbs to 4,861 feet. The shorter Whittaker Station ride (1.5 hours) visits a logging camp. Company houses are available as overnight rentals. Green Bank Observatory (30 minutes) is home to the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope — the entire town is a “quiet zone” with no cell phones or WiFi. National Radio Quiet Zone since 1958.

Insider Tips

Logging railroad: Cass Scenic Railroad operates original Shay locomotives up the mountain — the same geared engines that hauled timber from WV’s virgin forests. Pro tip: Shay locomotives were designed specifically for steep, rough logging railroads — their geared drive could climb grades impossible for conventional locomotives. Bald Knob: The train climbs to Bald Knob (4,842 feet) — the third-highest point in WV with stunning views.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to WV’s forests?

West Virginia’s virgin forests — mostly red spruce and hardwoods — were almost completely logged between 1880 and 1920. Logging railroads penetrated every valley. The timber was so valuable that entire towns (like Cass) were built around sawmills. When the timber was gone, the towns were abandoned. Slash left behind fueled devastating fires. Today’s WV forests are second-growth — the original old-growth ecosystem was fundamentally different from what grows there now.