Feral · Elevated

Cass Scenic Railroad — Heritage Steam Climb to Bald Knob, WV

Destination: Cass, West VirginiaNights: 3Group: 614Season: May, June, July, August, September, OctoberEstimated: $1,200–$1,800 per person

Board a private 1920s logging locomotive at dawn—the whistle echoes through the New River gorge as the narrow-gauge climbs 11 miles to Bald Knob, the highest point on the Cass & Pocahontas Railroad at 4,842 feet. The girls settle into restored coach cars with thermoses of coffee and fresh pastries from Cass Bakery, watching the forest canopy shift from hardwood to spruce-fir as the grade steepens. Nights in the meticulously preserved Cass Company Houses—historic 1920s lodges with original wood details, cast-iron fixtures, and quilts that smell of cedar—followed by four-course dinners at Allegheny Restaurant in nearby Marlinton, where Chef Marcus sources wild mushrooms and heritage pork from Pocahontas County farms. The final morning: a guided hike through the high-elevation meadows of Snowshoe Mountain, then a thermal circuit at Ten Thousand Waves spa—eucalyptus steam, mountain-fed soaking pools, and a massage that undoes the romance of the rails.

What she'll do

Tour

Hiking

Spa Day

Food Tour

Where she sleeps

  • · Cass Company Houses
  • · The Old Mill Bed & Breakfast

Where she eats

  • · Allegheny Restaurant
  • · Cass Bakery
  • · Droop Mountain Brewing Company

Questions

Will the train actually climb that high?
Yes—the Cass Scenic Railroad's Bald Knob excursion is a real 11-mile round trip on a restored narrow-gauge line, gaining 1,300 feet with switchbacks and trestle bridges. The locomotive is a 1920s Shay, and the climb takes roughly three hours.
What's the vibe of the Cass Company Houses?
Authentic heritage lodging—original 1920s railroad worker housing, now restored with period details, wood stoves, and communal porches. Rustic-luxe, not precious; think wool blankets and morning fog rolling through the valley.
Can we do this in shoulder season?
May through October is ideal; the railroad runs daily in summer and weekends in shoulder months. October is peak foliage and cooler—bring layers for the open-air cars.

Ready to book the story?

Five quick questions, then we build the full itinerary — lodging, daily schedule, dining, bars, the group-chat message — and drop you into a Trip Room you can share with the crew.