Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

At the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, you can climb aboard covered or open-air cars pulled by a vintage Shay steam engine to experience the sights and sounds of a bygone era. Afterward, see if you can strike it rich by panning for gold in an authentic sluice box. A prospector is on-site to show you how. And don’t miss a visit to the Thornberry Museum for more insights into logging life at the turn of the century.

You can find Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad 4 miles from the south entrance of Yosemite National Park on Highway 41. This is a picturesque corner of the beautiful Sierra National Forest.

The most popular ride is the 1-hour tour aboard “The Logger”. The 4-mile route is more than a trip through the Sierra National Forest along the historic Madera Sugar Pine Railroad right-of-way. It’s a journey into the past as the conductor regales you with stories of the railroad line, the trees, and wildlife that you will see along the way. There is an opportunity to get off mid-way through to explore and admire the trains up close.

Step it up another notch on the Moonlight Special. Begin the evening with a hearty BBQ dinner of steak, chicken, or vegetarian entrees with plenty of fixings. Then board the steam train for a ride to a secluded glade for a campfire sing-along program, complete with entertainment, songs, and stories. At the end of the evening, climb back aboard the train for a magical night-time trip back up the mountain.

Friendly train-loving dogs ride free, so feel free to bring fur-family members too.

The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad has been locally-owned and operated since 1965. You can see the Stauffer family’s love for these narrow-gauge steam engines and local logging history reflected in everything they do.