Enjoying Beautiful Fall Colours on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train

One of the best fall activities in Ontario is a ride on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train from Sault Ste. Marie to Agawa Canyon Park to enjoy the incredible landscape and the fall leaves of Northern Ontario. The train departs from the station depot in downtown Sault Ste. Marie on a 10 hour adventure that includes a 90 minute stop in Agawa Canyon Park.

I grew up on the North shore of Lake Huron about an hour’s drive from Sault Ste. Marie and have wanted to ride the Agawa Canyon train literally all my life. Last year my recently-retired husband and I decided that we weren’t going to put it off any longer.

Our trip was the first week of October (October 5th) and the leaves were towards the end of their peak but still spectacular! There was still a lot of colour at the start of the train trip but as we travelled north the leaves were probably a bit past the peak but beautiful nonetheless. The timing of the best leaf viewing, of course, will vary year to year and the best you can do is book during peak season and cross your fingers!

Peak season is mid-September to mid-October so be sure to book your trip in advance to avoid disappointment (last date in 2026 is October 18 ).

The Agawa Canyon Tour Train

One of the most popular train tours in North America, the Agawa Canyon Tour Train has been transporting travelers on the 114 mile (183 km) excursion north of Sault Ste. Marie for more than 50 years.

The train voyage showcases the rugged beauty of the region – a landscape that inspired the famous Group of Seven artists – passing through forests of the Canadian Shield, alongside Northern lakes and rivers, and over the Montreal River trestle bridge before slowly descending into the Agawa Canyon. GPS triggered commentary tells the story of the region and informs of upcoming points of interest as the train winds along the route.

The tour train operates August to October with peak demand during the fall colour season.

Excursions start and finish at the station depot in the city’s Canal District (near the historic Sault Ste. Marie Canal). Trains depart at 8 am and return around 6 pm including an approximately 90 minute visit to the Agawa Canyon Park. We arrived shortly before 7 am boarding our car by 7:20, departed promptly at 8 am and arrived back at the end of the day around 5:30 pm.

The Stone Gardner Car

Most of the cars of the train have coach style seating, however, we decided that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and splurged on the Stone Gardner car – very comfortable and the views were incredible!

The Stone Gardner is a 24-seat theatre car featuring a large plate glass rear window which provides a wonderful view of the landscape as the train passes through. Guests onboard the Stone Gardner car receive complimentary breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks and the car also features a lounge with eight very comfortable swivel chairs.

Tickets for the Stone Gardener are $500 per person as compared to the $170 for peak season in the other cars – a splurge but we were glad we had opted for it given the extra comfort and unforgettable views.

Enjoying Fall Foliage While Riding the Rails

The landscape and the fall foliage are what make the Agawa Canyon Tour Train so memorable and we had an absolutely perfect warm and sunny fall day for our trip.

Agawa Canyon Park

Agawa Canyon Park is a remote park only accessible by rail (or foot I suppose if you happen to be an ambitious hiker). We disembarked the train at noon and had 90 minutes to enjoy the park before our return journey. More time would be nice because it’s a bit rushed if you want to try and see as much as possible but if you just want to relax and enjoy a picnic lunch then there’s plenty of time.

There are several trails to explore including the Lookout Trail which requires climbing over 300 stairs for a panoramic view. The other trails wind through the forest or along the river bank to the Black Beaver Falls viewing platforms and to Bridal Veil Falls.

The trails are well-maintained but I found the signage a bit confusing – I would have liked to have a trail map but hadn’t been able to find one. We started up the Lookout Trail but my knee was bothering me with the stairs and we were worried about running out of time and not seeing anything else. We decided to head toward Bridal Veil Falls and weren’t sure we were on the right trail. We eventually made it to the falls but not in a very efficient way and only had time to snap a few photos before rushing back to the train for departure. In retrospect, since we disembarked at the back of the train, we should have gone directly to Bridal Veil Falls and then worked our way to the Lookout from there and we probably would have had sufficient time.

There are also picnic tables scattered around the area for anyone who has packed a lunch or purchased one aboard the train.

Return Trip to the Soo

The train switches direction for the return trip by moving the engine to the other end so we no longer had the large window view from the back of the train. As a result, the return trip was mostly a nice rest after a long day.

Where to Stay in the Soo

We have stayed a couple of times at the Delta Hotels Sault Ste. Marie on the waterfront which is a very convenient location if you’re taking the Agawa Canyon Tour Train as it’s about 2 km (1.2 miles) from the station depot. The only full-service waterfront hotel in the Soo, the Delta has an on-site restaurant with a patio that has lovely views of the St. Marys River and also a Starbucks Cafe.

Check current rates and reviews for the Delta Sault Ste. Marie on Booking.com or Expedia.