Ride The Amtrak Through Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains For Just $28

It doesn't get much more beautiful than Kentucky's Appalachian Mountains. Covered with a seemingly endless expanse of lush, dense forests, the Appalachians of Kentucky will show you why we're called the Bluegrass State. During the spring and summer, this mountainous region is a beautiful shade of deep green-blue; in the fall, the rolling blue hills are painted in the red, orange, and golden colors of autumn. If you're looking for scenic train rides in the Appalachian mountains, climb aboard the Amtrak Cardinal and take an Appalachian train ride through the mountains. You can ride this Amtrak in Kentucky for just $37, and it's a scenic trip you won't ever forget.

**Editor's note: Amtrak ticket prices vary by day, depending on a number of factors, including departure/arrival times. At the time of writing, $37 tickets for the Cardinal Train were available, with morning departure/evening arrival times.

The Kentucky Appalachians run through the eastern side of the state; it's a resplendent region that deserves your full attention.

And aboard the Amtrak Cardinal Train, you'll get to sit back and savor the splendor of the Bluegrass. The entire Cardinal route runs from Chicago to New York and spans 26 hours and 30 minutes. However, for our purposes, we're opting to take the Cardinal from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, for the ultimate Kentucky Appalachian Mountain experience.

For this Appalachian train ride, you'll have to drive over the Ohio River, to Amtrak's Cincinnati terminal.

Once aboard, you can sit back and get ready for a scenic and comfortable day trip. This round-trip train ride takes about eight hours to complete, if you opt to do it in a day.

Along the way, you'll see all sorts of beautiful scenery. Old rail tunnels that traverse through the Appalachian range provide lots of extra charm and visual interest -- especially for kids!

The rolling hills and mountains are the stars of the show, though. In the fall, when the landscape is painted rich oranges and golden yellows, it's positively perfect.

Between Cincinnati and White Sulphur Springs, the train winds its way through some of the most beautiful areas of the Bluegrass, with stops in Ashland, South Shore, and Maysville as the tracks follow the Appalachians of northeastern Kentucky.

We'd be remiss not to mention the scenic beauty of West Virginia along this route; New River Gorge spans 73,000 glorious acres through whitewater river and canyon landscapes. It's one of the country's newest national parks, in fact!

The Amtrak station at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, is your final stop on this route, and it's a charming station full of history that's a fun place to visit!

Climb aboard the Amtrak Cardinal, for a scenic tour of the Kentucky Appalachians you won't ever forget.

Did you know the Amtrak Cardinal has a train ride through the Appalachian Mountains? Have you ever experienced the Appalachians aboard a train? This really is one of the loveliest ways to experience the Bluegrass State. Learn more about this route at Amtrak's website.

What are some other Kentucky train rides you've done? Let us know below in the comments section. We look forward to hearing all about it! And if you're on the hunt for more interesting things to do in Kentucky, we recommend taking a look at the offerings available on Airbnb Experiences.