Riding the Agawa Canyon Train from Sault Ste Marie

If you are ready to see incredible fall colours in Northern Ontario, ride the Agawa Canyon Train.

You’ll go deep into the forest, travel alongside lakes, and pass thousands of trees in vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. You might just sit in awe the entire time like I did!

Let’s get right into everything you need to know to plan your ride, from where to sit, what you’ll see and what to do inside Agawa Canyon.

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Table of Contents

About the Train

Travelling up to 40 kph, the Agawa Canyon Train is one of the most fun and easy day trips in the Sault Ste Marie area.

This One-Day Scenic Rail Adventure runs August-October, but the best time to ride is late September – very early October for peak foliage. I rode at the end of September and it was perfect! The weather was cool and the leaves were prime.

What started with only a few train cars has grown into 17 cars long, and quickly sells out for fall foliage dates! And once you ride it, you’ll quickly see why.

What Can You See From the Train

On top of the most vibrant fall colours I’ve ever seen and landscapes that inspired the Group of Seven’s iconic art, here’s what you can see out the window and what side of the train you’ll see it from:

Lake – right

Lookout with Lake Superior in the distance – left

River – left

Town – right

Small lake – left

Big lake – right

Lake – both

Lake – left

Bridge – both

Lake – left

What to Do in Agawa Canyon

Once in the canyon, you’ll have 1.5 hours of free time where you can choose to:

1. Climb the Stairs to the Lookout

For a great view (and workout), climb 300 steps to reach the Lookout point that overlooks the entire canyon. It’s the most popular thing to do when visiting, so it gets crowded quickly. Seeing it in fall colours was breathtaking.

2. Visit a Waterfall

In Agawa Canyon Park, you’ll find 2 waterfalls including Black Beaver Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.

Black Beaver Falls is a 10-minute walk from the train and is the closest waterfall to the Lookout. Standing 175 ft (53.3 m) high, they are easy to reach while walking through the forest. I visited this waterfall.

Bridal Veil Falls is the highest of the waterfalls in Agawa Canyon, standing at 225 feet (68.5 m) high. It doesn’t have much volume if it hasn’t been raining heavily. It wasn’t rainy during my visit so people who hiked this one didn’t see much. You can see it from the train while riding into the canyon like I did, so check out the window if you aren’t hiking to it.

3. Enjoy a Picnic

Pack your own food or buy lunch from the dining cart and enjoy a picnic at one of the picnic tables near the train. You’ll enjoy beautiful views of the canyon surrounding you.

Tip: Time in the canyon goes by quickly, so don’t try to fit everything in if you want a relaxing visit. I made that mistake and was sweaty and rushing to try and see the lookout and one of the waterfalls. I barely made it back to the train on time before it left.

Riding the Agawa Canyon Train – What It’s Like

We woke up early ready to get to the train by 7 am to be the first ones to pick our seats.

You can pick up your train tickets from the station the night before or the morning of, and I chose the morning of. You’re assigned a cart but not a seat, so we headed to wait in the area where our cart will arrive.

I watched more and more people show up and everyone stood in 1 of 17 lines for the 17 carts.

When the train started pulling in, my excitement grew! The crew laid down the entry step stool and it was time to board.

First onto our cart, I chose a set of 4 seats on the right side of the train, thinking that was the best side. I was mistaken as the left side is the best. But we made an alliance with the group of friends sitting across from us to switch on the ride back so we could both experience both sides.

We were happy to have back storage overhead, so we could have our snacks and drinks not at our feet.

The train was boarded by 8 am, and left at 8:05 am, and the day was just getting started!

As soon as we got to the edge of Sault Ste Marie, the colours were already incredible! And it continued like that for 4 hours to get to Agawa Canyon.

My friends napped from time to time, but I was glued to the window in awe.

From time to time an announcer voice would come on the speaker giving some interesting fact about what we were about to see out the window.

They give you a rundown of how long you have in the canyon, what time to board the train, and where to get souvenirs (cart 14) and snacks before you arrive.

Once stopped, everyone floods off the train heading straight for the activities. The most popular is the Lookout.

After climbing the 300 stairs to the Lookout, the view is beautiful! It reminded me of rural Quebec. But the crowds here are a bit much. I stayed for a few minutes and headed back down. I would’ve stayed up there longer, but I couldn’t sit and relax with all the people and I was too hot from the hike.

The walk to Black Beaver Waterfall was much more calmer with fewer people. We rushed back to the train, boarding only a few minutes before departure.

The group was happy to still switch seats, so we relaxed the whole way back watching out the other window of the train.

Arriving back at 6 pm, it was such a fun but tiring day. I’d do it again, but skip the Lookout and rather enjoy being in the canyon itself.

Hotels Near Agawa Canyon Train Tour

Delta Hotels Sault Ste Marie Waterfront – a 3-star hotel overlooking St.Mary’s River, 4-minute drive to the train

Fairfield Inn & Suites Sault Ste Marie – a 2.5-star hotel with free breakfast and a hot tub, 9-minute drive (I stayed here and loved soaking in the hot tub after all day on the train)

Agawa Canyon Train Route Map

Train Ride Tips

Arrive early to get parking and line up to get a good seat in your assigned cart. Boarding starts 30 mins before departure
Bring a power bank to charge your phone, there are no plugs on the train
Pick a seat you like as you’ll see the same view in both directions. Unless you make an alliance with the people across from you to trade sides on the ride back like we did
The dining cart is cash only for the first 30 minutes once at the canyon
You’ll find snacks in carts 6, 11 and 15, continental breakfast in cart 12, and souvenirs in cart 14
If you want to nap, nap on the way back as it’s the same route there and back, or stay up like me and don’t miss a second
You can rent a private cart on the train for your group, or your event.

Agawa Canyon Train Review & Final Thoughts

I was in awe the whole train ride with how beautiful and vibrant the fall colours are up in Agawa!

It’s a long and tiring day, but totally worth it for the views! I’d do it again, but spend the free time relaxing with a picnic rather than rushing around.

By then, I hope they have an online booking system like scenic trains in Scotland, as some people were asked to move after they already arrived early and picked their seats with the view they wanted.

The Agawa Canyon Tour Train is a fun fall adventure. And if you have more time in the Sault Ste Marie area, hike Fitzgerald Lookout Trail for a great view of Lake Superior and more fall colours. Or enjoy a boat tour through the SOO Locks.

Riding the Agawa Canyon Train from Sault Ste Marie

About the Train

What Can You See From the Train