Overall, it was a very enjoyable and relaxing experience. I came up from Michigan just for the train. We went for the fall colors, but unfortunately fall came late this year and we were too early to see the colors. It was still beautiful though. It's a 4 hour train ride there, 1.5 hours at the canyon, and 4 hours back the same way. The canyon was absolutely beautiful, and I wished we had more time there. Most people bring their own lunch, but we bought the boxed lunch that we pre-ordered. My suggestion is to arrive around 7 to ensure you get seats with the people you are with. If you enjoy looking at nature and having a relaxing day, you'll enjoy the trip. If you want to be completely thrilled and entertained for the whole day, you might get bored. Definitely not a trip for small children. read more

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We booked the train 3 months ahead for the most recommended fall trip. We drove from Toronto to the Soo only for this tour train. We were excited and looking forward for this trip. To be honest, we did not enjoy this trip and it became the most uninteresting part of our SOO trip. The train start at 8am and we were at the location by 7:40am. However the train was already packed and the boarding lady said, you won't be finding seats and are allowed to sit anywhere. We managed to find the only free seats next to a married couple. This was on the left side. The left side has lot less views compared to the right and the sun was also sharp on our faces when returning. The seats are uncomfortably close to each other and the elderly couple hard a hard time keeping their legs bent and the old man had kept standing up for half the trip. Moreover, the trip was uncomfortably long. It feels like forever till you get to that place. Combined with the uncomfortable leg position, you lose all interest by the time you get to the park. The restrooms were nasty, that you would think twice before using them. The time at the park is far too less and goes away in a blink of time. Especially in the last 15mins, almost everyone returned to their seats, because no one wanted to miss their train by spending too much time outside. I ended up not enjoying the train journey at all and would not recommend this trip unless you are ready to sit in an uncomfortable position for 8 hrs straight! There are lot of other better things to do at the SOO and this train journey is the least of them. The train journey could have been pleasant if they had better seats, lesser journey time and more time at the park. read more

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Let's just say that it's a very very long day on the train. We came from Toronto and so we had to pay for a lot of accommodation to and from Sault St Marie and the two nights at Sault St Marie to catch the 8am train. The views were not spectacular as advertised. Most of the train ride was boring passing close to small trees that obscured the rivers and valleys from view. The snack bar was limited in its selection. The bathrooms at the top of the run were absolutely horrible. In summary, I would not recommend this trip if you were not already in the area. It certainly is not a bucket list trip. read more

This is the whole reason we came to Sault Ste. Marie ON. We took the Agawa Canyon train tour. The train leaves town a few blocks from the international bridge. There is a guided video tour as you travel. The train travels 114 miles through the Canadian wilderness going through winding canyons and over rivers with breath taking views. There is a dinning car which offers breakfast and lunch as well as snacks and beverages. The train stops at Agawa Canyon for 90 minutes. There you are able to walk several trails that lead to waterfalls, lookout platforms with scenic views, and picnic areas. They have a souvenir shop there also. The railway also offers passenger service to Hearst ON 296 miles away. It stops at several towns and lodges in between. This train tour is well worth the trip to Sault Ste. Marie ON. read more

Algoma Central Railway - Public Transportation Near Me - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

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This is the only way that you get to visit the agawa canyon. I'll focus on the train ride experience for the first part, and the canyon for the second. PART ONE. FYI it is extremely difficult to purchase the train tickets for the weekends. All tour companies have already hoarded it. So you might as well join one if you are planning to visit. I will also warn you that the train ride is 4 hours one way, 8 hours round trip. So you might want to reconsider if you are not a fan of looking at nature. Train leaves at 8am sharp and will not wait for you. So if you missed it then that's too bad. The train itself is actually pretty well maintained. I STRONGLY recommend you to sit on the RIGHT side of the train. The sceneries are much better compared to the Left. Although you will have the sun shining in your face during the morning ride, but it is all worth it. Also, some of the seats will rotate direction in your way back, so don't put stuff into the pockets. There are adequate amount of washrooms on the train, and there are staff that comes every so often to clean them. I would say it's pretty impressive. There are snacks and such for purchase on the train, but you are always welcome to bring your own food, just no alcohol allowed. PART TWO Once you've reached the canyon, you will get approximately 1.5 hours to stay. You will need to plan your trip wisely as you won't be able to head back to town if you miss your train. There are two trails that you should be focusing on. The first is the lookout, which is approximately 350 steps up the stairs to look down at the whole canyon. This took me around 25 minutes round trip as the stairs are flooded with people. Once you come back down, don't bother walking the inner trail for visiting the falls. Go back to the train (where the first aid building is) and make your way towards the other end of the train. There you will find a bridge which connects to a sand road. Keep walking at a fast pace and you'll make it to the falls in under 20 minutes. Round trip should be around 35 minutes. After that, you won't have much time before the train departs. read more

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Agawa Canyon Tour Train - Best train tour in the Midwest! For non-Canadians, you kinda need a passport to get here. That said, there are a ton of Americans who take the ride. Go to their website for travel information, lots of pictures and helpful hints. The train departs from the station in Sault Ste. Marie and travels out of town into the rural and then wilderness areas. 114 miles later, at Canyon Park, you can step off the train for an hour and a half of picnicing, walking trails, scenic views, waterfalls and such. The Fall Color Tour has to be simply amazing. I took the Snow Train a few years back and really enjoyed the trip, even though the Snow Train does not allow you to disembark. They simply move the engine to the other end of the train, change the seats and start back. You have to bring a camera!! As you travel along, you will see some of the most spectacular sights imaginable. A great view of the train can be had when you travel along a couple of switchbacks. At some places it seems that you can reach out and touch the rocks, as you travel that close! The rates are $85 for adults and $40 for kids (go to their website for complete rate tables - seniors and ages 2-5 are cheaper), but the color tour from mid-September to mid-October runs $20 more per adult. Go for a local hotel and ride package to save some money (again, on the website). Call ahead for reservations, because this is a very popular tourist destination. I recommend!! read more

A lot of fun and a must visit while in the Soo. Best time to go is once the leaves start falling, because you get to see additional views the leaves hide. Don't forget your camera, because there will be some really cool views and stuff to take pictures of. The train depot is in a shopping mall, so there is plenty of parking and somewhere to grab breakfast if you don't eat before getting there. The same shopping mall has a Wal-Mart right next to the train, so utilize it as a resource to buy water and food for the trip, because everything on the train is expensive and this is an all-day journey. The train leaves at 8:00am sharp, so don't think about being late or you get left behind. The train is very comfortable and has spacious seats. Try to sit in one of the sets of seats that face each other, because there is plenty of window space for taking pictures (and you will be taking a lot of them, because the views are amazing and perfect photo ops). All of the passenger cars have video monitors that show narrative stories of the Soo and points of interest along the route. The stop for the train is Algoma Valley, which has nothing available logistical wise, so only count on trails and restrooms. The time allotted is only about an hour and a half, so start walking to the Bridal Falls as soon as you get off the train and then double back on the other trail to get pictures of the other falls on the opposite side of the canyon. If possible, don't bother to try to walk the 300 steps up to the top lookout, because, if the leaves are off the trees you can get just as good photos from the lower lookout. read more

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This 9 hour train excursion is great if you really like riding trains and seeing beautiful scenery from the comfort of a train car. The highlight for me was the destination at the Canyon where you have 90 min to hike to some water falls and lookouts. Food on diner car was good and service good too. Try to pick a sunny day to maximize the beauty. Be prepared for lot of mosquitoes at the Canyon in summer. And be prepared for a long, long day on the train. read more

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Awesome expierence! We traveled to sault ste. Marie to go on this train ride, definitely worth the money! The train was spacious with comfortable reclining seats and large windows. There are tv screens to show a commentary about the history of the canyon and the area. There is a dining car that offers meals and snacks. They accept american money, and you get your change back as canadian. After traveling 114 miles, the train stops at the agawa canyon park. They give you 90 minutes to hike, have lunch and explore. The park is beautiful, with rock formations, waterfalls, and an observation tower with 300 steep steps to the top. The views from the top are spectacular! Make sure you bring plenty of water, shoes, snacks and bug spray! I will recommend this trip to anyone who is traveling to sault ste. Marie canada. read more

It was lots of fun! Make sure you hit the lookout first. The 318 steps are pretty tough but well worth it! Please don't miss it. Now the downside. Ran out of alcohol, apparently the manager that's never on the train forgot to buy more and this happens often or so I was told by someone at the canyon end. They don't have bottles so can't mix anything only cans..in this case they only had one kind of beer until they ran out and I'm not going to drink that Palm Bay stuff...ewww. Train needs some maintenance, peeling wallpaper in the dining car and ac not working, it was damn hot! Management needs to ride the train to see what it's like. read more

Long ride to see the beautiful scenery and water falls. Rickety rails made it a tad uncomfortable but it's in the wilderness so guess it's to be expected. Glad we went. The food was horrible. Not one person said anything good about it. Many people ate only a little and left the rest. 8am to 6:30 pm you need something to eat so we had to make due. Extremely expensive. Two dinky lunches (no salads) with one water was $37.50. read more

Algoma Central Railway - Public Transportation Near Me - Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

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If you go, go for the Canyon. Go in Fall or take the Snow Train. Pros: A few good views, the Canyon Cons: The long trip both ways, not many views till you get there, and the short time once you do Did this for our 3rd anniversary. Booked about two months in advance. A little pricey, paid about $100 a person in US money (about $250 Canadian) including taxes. Day couldn't have been more perfect. No bugs, weather was beautiful. Had read a bunch of reviews before we went as to be prepared. Packed our own picnic lunch the night before (picked up Subway on the Canadian side) and ate breakfast at the hotel. Presented an ID with our booking confirmation and picked up our tickets the day before as well with no issues. Staff were courteous and professional.They instructed us where best to park so as to be close to our coach the next morning. Boarded about 7:45 (boarding starts 7:30). We were assigned to coach 4, number 5701. Coach was modern, with overhead room for our large picnic basket and backpack. Red upholstered seats with leather-like backing, and you can recline them slightly. Comfortable enough for us. (Note: previous reviewer said coaches 14 and 15 are outdated, more like third class). Most people had boarded, but we were able to get seats on the right side of the train. (Left side has more valley views, right side has more lake views). All seats face forward going except the seats that face each other for groups of 4, in which case you will be cramped for leg room. The train didn't jerk much on the way there, but did a little more on the way back (maybe the engineer was tired?) It makes a familiar creaking sound and there's a weaving motion side to side just enough to be comfortable. Train and windows were pretty clean. Attendants were professional, helpful with directions. The cameras at the front of the train giving the live feed to the screens are kind of choppy, but gave you a basic idea of what was upcoming so you could get your own camera ready for pictures. They experienced a few electrical issues with their visual tour audio/video but it was interesting when it worked, which it did mostly. They turned it pretty much off on the way back so you could relax. It also alerted you in plenty of time about upcoming views. There are just a few shots we missed that would have been pretty that weren't announced. I don't think they're interested in fixing these known few issues. It's about money. They're the only train and have the only line, and they're still the most popular way to get there. With virtually no competition, people have no other option than to put up with it. As for the views, other reviewers aren't just being negative - they are right. Many, though not all, of the lake views are either obscured by the morning mist or blocked by tall trees on both sides of the track. Although I appreciate the fact Canada has healthy forests, maybe the logging industry should be revived a little :) The prettiest views are when you reach the canyon itself (mile 114) or on the long trestle above the dams (mile 92). Colors were reported to be at 80% according to the fall foliage map. They have been later everywhere in the UP as well as Canada, due to a wet August and hot September. When we went (October 6), I felt that with a few exceptions most of the color was at the beginning of the trip. When you reach the part they announce is now the Canadian Shield region, most of the trees are evergreens or birch. It's more greenery and massive cliffs than anything, with some water of course which you can see if the trees allow. When it comes to train speed, it only goes about 35-40 mph. They go even slower inside the city, and slow down some for the major views along the way. Reason being that although it's now a passenger train, it's still on a freight line designed for heavy loads but not fast speeds. So you travel the same speed going and coming. It is a 4 hour trip each way, which gets kind of boring on the way there except for the few good views and extremely boring on the way back, when you've pretty much seen everything already. So either sleep on the way back or bring a book. When we got there they gave us the typical 1 1/2 hours in the canyon. The trails are well-maintained and well-marked. The major points of interest are the Lookout Point, Beaver Falls (north and south - they split into the two), and the Bridal Veil Falls. My husband and I did all three, in that order. (We are in our twenties, in pretty good shape, but did have to hustle to see them all. Had about 15 minutes left at the end). They're gorgeous, with the Lookout Point and it's three hundred something stairs being the toughest. Do all three if you can, but don't feel bad if you can't hike to the Bridal Veil Falls since you pass it on the way in at mile 112 and can get good pictures (if you're sitting on the right side). read more

Took the train ride today September 14th colors were spectacular even though it's not peak season train, ride is a little long four hours one way but it was well worth the ride. the gift shop in the canyon was closed but that just gave us more time to walk around and view the waterfalls. Train cars were very clean, temperature controlled and the windows were large enough to see the scenery. Bathrooms on board were very clean. There is a dining car that serves breakfast and lunch but we thought it was a little bit pricey so we brought our own lunch they didn't have a problem with that. there are snacks available in the snack bar and drinks can be purchased. This is a great day trip and would recommend it to all read more

We loved it! I read other reviews before our trip which made our trip better. I definitely agree that you should try to sit on the North (right) side of the train. We ate breakfast before arriving and brought our own lunch and snacks. We went for the fall colors and we went on October 1st. The colors were magnificent!!! We loved walking in the canyon and saw all three waterfalls. It would be a good trip in the summer, but fall colors made it amazing!!! read more

Long 4 hr train ride there and 4 hours back. All you see are trees and some water. You only get to spend 1.5 hrs at the canyon. Most definitely not worth the money they charge for this trip. read more

We went on Sept 25th 2017 the train was very comfortable and clean and the employee's were very helpful it was a whole day event which is explained to you . When we stopped at the canyon all I can say is wow words cannot explain how beautiful it was would do it again. After reading reviews I was glad we packed a picnic lunch there are plently of tables & spots to eat and enjoy the scenery read more