25 Places To Ride Trains in Northern California

Enjoy our list of exciting list of train rides in Northern California. The list includes tourist railroads, dinner train rides, steam train excursions, kids trains, and railway museums that offer train rides. We might have missed out on some Northern California train rides. If you know of any, big or small, please let us know so we can add them to the list.

Northern California Train Rides

Napa Valley Wine Train

The Napa Valley Wine Train runs along a line built in 1847 to take visitors to the Calistoga resort. Today, the train runs as far as St. Helena and is rated one of the top twenty rail journeys in the world. Travelers view the vineyards while riding in vintage 1915-1947 Pullman Dining, Lounge, or Vista Dome cars.

Sonoma Train Town

Parents and grandparents will appreciate the budget-friendly prices while the kids revel in the carnival-like atmosphere. There is a small fee for park rides and train tickets but no general admission fee for visitors who prefer to keep their feet on the ground and skip the rides.

Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad

The railroad track is about a mile long, and rides last about eight minutes. Adults can relax and enjoy the nostalgia while children ooh and aah as the locomotives pass over the bridge at Los Gatos Creek and continue adjoining Vasona Park.

Skunk Train-Fort Bragg

The train trip from Fort Bragg is called the Pudding Creek Express and is a seven-mile round trip.  The Willits train is called the Wolf Tree Run and is a 2-hour round trip. Passengers enjoy beautiful Northern California scenery with views of redwood trees and the Noyo River.

Niles Canyon Railway

Historic Niles Canyon Railway runs from Sunol to Niles and back, offering departures and arrivals from both towns on most Sundays throughout the year. The Pacific Locomotive Association has railroad equipment on display and alternates between steam and diesel locomotives on Sunday runs.

Redwood Valley Steam Train

The Redwood Valley Steam Train has been operating within Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley for more than fifty years. It’s a fully operational miniature railway with a fleet of replicas of significant steam engines from the past. The railroad has one and a quarter miles of track to run these trains.

Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad

The Sacramento Valley Railroad offers train and motorcar rides along a section of Southern Pacific’s Placerville Branch railroad right-of-way. Rides last 30 to 45 minutes and feature scenic views of the Sacramento Valley.

Oakland Zoo Train

Experience a unique adventure at the zoo by hopping on the “Outback Express Adventure Train.” This exciting train ride takes you through the “Wild Australia” exhibit, where you can observe several emus and wallabies native to the Australian outback. The train ride is the only way to see these animals in the zoo, so don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Folsom City Zoo Train

Folsom Valley Railway is adjacent to the zoo and is a perfect place to end your day trip. This fun little train is the only 12-inch gauge railroad in the United States. A miniature steam engine pulls open-air rail cars along with a mile-long track.

Nevada City Railroad Museum

This narrow-gauge railroad is a sight to behold for model railroad fans. It’s well maintained by volunteers who strive to preserve rail history in this area. See a fantastic display of rolling stock, tunnels, buildings, and more. Train rides on select weekends during the summer season. Seasonal events year-round.

Western Railway Museum

Western Railway Museum allows visitors to ride historic streetcars and interurban electric trains from California and other western states. Streetcars loop the shaded picnic grounds. Interurban cars run over the restored main line of the old Sacramento Northern Railway.

Northern California Train Rides San Jose Trolley

San Jose used to have a vast electric trolley car system with 130 miles of track. By 1938, the streetcars were replaced by automobiles and buses. Today, visitors to San Jose’s Kelley Park can ride restored trolley cars on most weekends. Tracks run from the trolley barn through the park to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo.

Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad

Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad is an exciting 4-mile railroad excursion at Yosemite Park’s south gate on Highway 41. Ride into history where powerful locomotives hauled massive log trains through the Sierra Mountains.

San Francisco Zoo Little Puffer

San Francisco Zoo’s little puffer train is older than the zoo itself. It started as a tourist train along the beach in Santa Cruz in 1907.  In 1925, the little puffer started a 50-year run shuttling guests around the zoo. The train was retired in 1978 and returned to service at the zoo in 1997.

Sacramento River Fox Train

The Sacramento River Fox Train runs from West Sacramento 10 miles to the outskirts of Woodland and back. The Train starts at the edge of the Sacramento River and then travels through fertile farmland for five miles before it reverses back to the train depot.

Roaring Camps Railway

Roaring Camp’s steam engine collection is among America’s oldest and most accurately preserved regularly scheduled passenger service trains. Roaring Camp offers two different tours to suit your tastes. The Roaring Camp & Big Trees is a steam-powered narrow-gauge line using Shay and Heisler locomotives.

Jamestown 1897 Park

Jamestown 1897 State Historical Park’s one-of-a-kind experience affords visitors a unique understanding of jumping aboard authentic steam and diesel locomotives. Ride in vintage passenger coaches on a six-mile, 40-minute round-trip ride through the scenic Sierra Nevada foothills.

Gilroy Family Gardens Train

Bonfante Railroad at Gilroy Family Gardens is a narrow-gauge railroad pulled by a 1/3 scale replica of an 1863 C.P. Huntington steam locomotive. The stops at two stations as it circles the theme park. Highlights of this train trip include the greenhouse, a tunnel, a waterfall, and a bridge.

Shadowbrook Restaurant Capitola

Shadowbrook features an inclined elevator that takes guests from the parking lot to the dining room adjacent to Soquel Creek. Riding the funicular railway is a fun start for an evening of dining at the historic Shadowbrook Restaurant.

Casa de Fruta Train

Casa de Fruta’s Narrow Gauge Railroad runs on a two-mile-long track adjacent to Pacheco Creek.  This little train trip is extensive for a miniature train and lasts about 20 minutes. Casa de Fruta also features a carousel and a kind of playground. And, of course, there is the original fruit stand and a 24-hour restaurant on the premises. 10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy, Hollister, CA 95023

Northern California Train Rides Cover Apple Ranch

Cover’s Apple Ranch Narrow Gauge Railroad traveled past a pond and threw two tunnels around the ranch.  Trains run on Saturday only along the 1,800-foot track and cost only $2.00 per person: cover Apple Ranch 19211 Cherokee Rd Tuolumne, CA 95379.

Pixie Express Train

Pixie Express is one of three rides at Pixie Woods Children’s Park in Stockton. This fun little train travels through Pixie Forest,  past Frontier Town, and around the park’s lagoon. Rides on the train only cost a few dollars. If you live in the area, you can buy a season pass and ride all day.

Swanton Pacific Railroad

Swanton Pacific Railroad features one-third-scale steam locomotives from the 1915 San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The museum is open twice each year for special event days. They also host private events. Swanton Pacific Ranch is located in Santa Cruz County and is owned by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Timber Heritage Association Eureka

Timber Heritage Association offers speeder rides on the fourth Saturday of June, July, August, and September.  This scenic four-mile round-trip ride runs along  Humboldt Bay to Manila. The speeder is run along Waterfront Drive in Old Town Eureka on special occasions. The association houses its collection at the historic Roundhouse in Samoa, California.

Howarth Park Train Santa Rosa

Howarth Park is a 138-acre community park in Santa Rosa, California. The park features an excellent fishing lake, a small amusement area with a carousel, an animal farm, pony rides, and a miniature train. The train takes visitors on a quarter-mile ride with a tunnel and a bridge. There is a small fee to ride the train—kids 12 and under ride for free with an adult.

Closed but not forgotten The Sierra Railroad, the third oldest railroad in North America

More Places to Ride Trains

Southern California Train Rides – Nevada Train Rides

California State Railway Museum