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On Saturday, May 20, the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will sponsor a train excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of the spring season while riding the rails in vintage passenger railroad cars.

The one-day excursion will cover most of the operating trackage of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

The track follows the route of the former Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch Line, established in 1891, with its five percent grade and many bridges.

The scenic rail excursion goes to from the historic depot in Bryson City, NC, through the beautiful countryside of Western North Carolina, into the breath-taking Nantahala Gorge surrounded by the majestic Smoky Mountains, and back to Bryson City.

Much of the route hugs the banks of the Little Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers. It crosses Fontana Lake on a trestle spanning 780 feet 100 feet above the lake.

Passengers ride in tourist coach or open-air cars.

All classes offer seating in classic antique restored passenger cars. There are restrooms throughout the train.

Tourist Class Cars have ceiling fans and windows that open and close for fresh-air viewing.

Open-air Coach Cars are great for picture-taking and “experiencing” the ride and scenery.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has become a favorite of film producers over the years. The train wreck scene in the 1993 movie, “The Fugitive,” starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, was filmed along the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.

The railroad was used in the filming of the 1996 comedy, “My Fellow Americans,” starring Jack Lemmon and James Gardner, when they stumble onto a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four.

Train scenes in the 1998 movie, “Forces of Nature,” starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock, were also filmed on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Bryson City is a laid-back, non-touristy town of 1,300 with more stop signs than stoplights.

It is an easily stroll-able town with local bookstores, arts and crafts galleries with working artisans, a bike shop, two fly fishing shops, a fly-fishing museum, an historical museum, an aquarium, a scenic train, two breweries, and a surprising variety of restaurants.

Bryson City is only 10 miles from the famous Cherokee Indian Reservation.

Passengers have three options for arrival at the Bryson City Train Depot: they may either ride a chartered tour bus out of Johnson City, TN, or drive directly to Bryson City, NC, if that is more convenient. Please select point of departure location on the order form when purchasing tickets. NOTE: Free parking is provided both in Johnson City and Bryson City.

Tourist Coach ticket price is $94/adult and $77/child [2-12]

Open-Air Coach Class ticket price is $96/adult $76/child [2-12]

All classes of excursion tickets include free admission to the Smoky Mountain Lionel Train Museum.