The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has been named one of the best scenic train rides in the country, placing No. 7 nationally in USA TODAY 10Best’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.
The railroad, which operates between Cumberland and Frostburg in Allegany County, was one of 10 scenic train rides selected through USA TODAY’s annual readers’ choice process. Nominees for 10Best awards are selected by expert panels before readers vote to determine the final rankings.
“Take in gorgeous views of the Allegheny Mountains on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad,” USA TODAY wrote, highlighting Helmstetter’s Curve, an iron truss bridge and the 914-foot Brush Tunnel as features that make the trip a unique experience.
The 16-mile route begins in Cumberland and travels west through the Allegheny Mountains along the former Western Maryland Railway right-of-way before joining the former Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad. According to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, the journey includes grades of up to 2.8% as trains travel through the mountains toward Frostburg.
One of the railroad’s biggest attractions is Chesapeake & Ohio Railway steam locomotive No. 1309. Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1949, the locomotive originally hauled heavy coal trains through Kentucky and West Virginia before being retired in 1956.
Following an extensive restoration, No. 1309 returned to service more than six decades later and now operates tourist trains between Cumberland and Frostburg. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad describes it as the largest operating steam locomotive of its type in the world.
The recognition is the latest national travel distinction for Allegany County. Earlier this month, the county placed No. 2 nationally in USA TODAY 10Best’s 2026 ranking of the Best Places to Visit for Fall, behind Mackinac Island, Michigan.
