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Hiwassee River Rail Adventures

Hiwassee River Rail Adventures, from train station in Etowah, Tennessee

3½ hours.  Six mile bus ride to Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park, excursion train through Hiwassee River Gorge to Farner, Tennessee and back

The trip starts at the beautiful and historic train station in downtown Etowah, Tennessee.  The train station is now a museum, and contains the ticket office for the excursion train.  Unfortunately, the excursion train is not allowed to use the tracks in downtown Etowah because they are in active use by freight trains.  So passengers are bussed six miles south of town to the Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park to begin their train ride.

Map of Hiwassee River Excursion Train

The adventure begins at point D at the train station in downtown Etowah, Tennessee.  The train ride begins at point A at the Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park.  The most interesting part of the trip is at point B where the grade up Bald Mountain is so steep that the track loops around the mountain almost two complete times, crossing itself as it does so.  The train turns around at point C at the little town of Farner, Tennessee.

Just south of Point B and just northeast of Point C is the Appalachia Dam, right on the Tennessee and North Carolina state line.  There is no powerplant at the dam as is usually the case for TVA dams.  Instead, there are large underground pipes that deliver the water to a powerplant several miles downstream.  The river bed is fairly dry between the dam and the powerplant most of the time except for water from feeder streams.  However, occasionally TVA does have to let water through the dam without sending it through the underground pipes to the powerplant.  On the rare occasions when this happens, the river runs with its old splendor between the dam and the powerplant.  But otherwise, the river is its normal self only below the powerplant.

I had a hard time getting good photographs because the train doesn't stop except to turn around, and because there is heavy foliage between the tracks and the river this time of year.  The tracks are only 20 or 30 feet from the river for the most part.  But there is still enough foliage between the tracks and the river that it's hard to get good photographic sight lines from the moving train.  I think I could do better on a second trip because I would know more what to expect.

A view of the river to the right of the train, very early in the trip.  The river is very placid at this point because it is largely out of the mountains and into the main Tennessee Valley.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, beginning of ride

The train crosses the river early in the ride.  This picture is looking downstream from the bridge.  The river is still very placid, although you can see some very mild rapids in the distance.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, from the bridge

Another view from the bridge, with a couple of flat water kayakers.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, from the bridge a second time

A whitewater section of the river.  I failed to get any kayaks or canoes in any pictures, but there were a lot of them on the river.  It doesn't appear that the river is in all that much of a gorge at this point, but on the other side of the train the terrain goes practically straight up.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, some whitewater

A placid place below the powerhouse.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, a placid place below the powerhouse

First view of the powerhouse.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, first view of the powerhouse

Looking at the river downstream from the powerhouse.  From the train, it really isn't possible to see the discharge of the water from the powerhouse into the river.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, downstream from the powerhouse

Power lines from the powerhouse.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, Power lines from the powerhouse.

The tracks crossing themselves on while circling Bald Mountain.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, Bald Mountain Loop

Another view of the tracks crossing themselves on while circling Bald Mountain.

Hiwassee River Excursion Train, Bald Mountain Loop again

There were a couple of good views of the Appalachia Dam off in the distance.  But both views were so brief that I failed to get a picture.

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This page last edited on 24 Jul 2009.