Happy employees. Lots of kindness and smiles. Think "Disney Land"! It was a real treat to ride the train. Everyone was nice. We even sat next to "Flintstone" fans. My kind of people. The train stopped at the Fruit Factory gift shop. There were lots of choices for a souvenir or gift. Also in the same location is a winery. I used their bathroom sink to wash my hands and ..,.. the faucets were so cool. The site to see is that you are standing between Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. While riding the train, we saw lots of nature, trees, rivers to see along the way and back. The train ride is a must. I would love to go again. read more

This was our first time on the Mount Hood Railroad and we took the Polar Express ride with a 3 1/2-year-old and it was beyond amazing! I highly recommend this for anyone with little ones, but honestly there were more parties of older folks, including seniors who were taking this and all seemed to enjoy it. They give out a hot chocolate and a seasonal cookie to all on the train so I found having a table seat to be very helpful, but to save money you can sit on one of the cars without tables. There are also dates when they're not as busy that will save you some cash. Near the end of the ride (~1.25 hrs) Santa and his elves came on board the train and interacted with everyone, delighting the children in particular. They have an on-board photographer and will email you pictures you can purchase if you desire. Highly, highly, highly recommend this at Christmas time . read more

See all

We so loved our rail car excursion! Chrissy was the best, so fun--she was our guide. Scenic, easy to do, and the perfect amount of time. Strongly recommend! read more

Amazing Experience!! Not sure why they only have 3 stars....it should be 5!!! Reasonably priced, excellent staff and the adventure was Superb!! Gorgeous nature views and the history of the railroad!! The bikes are assisted with power- so, no peddling required!! Chrissy was Amazing!! Personable and made the experience fun!! Don't miss this unique opportunity to enjoy the ride and views!!! read more

See all

Good times!!!! We had so much fun on the rail bikes!! There were 4 in our group, so two bikes. Chrissy was a great guide! We totally enjoyed the scenery and time we spent on this adventure! We've already all said it's definitely something to do again!!! read more

See all

A 2.5 hour scenic adventure! We enjoyed the rail bike experience that is one of a kind. Chrissy, Chad, Decan were our hosts who delivered a memorable experience from the welcome tutorial, to each stop. The experience was loaded with jokes, tips on where to spot Osprey, and a fun stop at a winery and fruit co. The men did lots of work turning the rail bikes around, and Chrissy was an upbeat host focused on your experience and safety. The experience was not rushed given the jam packed activities. Highly recommend this experience if you can get a booking, and don't forget to bring cash to tip the crew! read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Historic lobby - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

See all

We absolutely loved our experience and would do it again. Something very fun and festive for the holidays. I took my 83 yr old father and wasn't sure how it would play out. My dad loved watching the kids, he really enjoyed meeting Santa, and loved the hot chocolate & cookie. I thought the mug and gift bag were really nice. VIP seating was extremely comfortable and you had a reserved table, which I really liked. Santa was very engaging and so agreeable to lots of photos. Room for improvement- Better communication about handicap parking location and availability. Also, it wasn't super clear that the parking pass I purchased for the lot could be used for the handicapped lot. Better communication of the distance between the parking lot and shuttle to the check in location. And communication that there is street parking albeit limited. We had a bit of a drive to the train and didn't know if there was a restroom at the lot parking. We drove there and realized there were no bathrooms to drive back to the main building to use the restrooms. Additionally, there needs to be better control of everyone once they are in the main building to check in. It was pure chaos and near impossible to access the bathrooms w/o pissing people off by just pushing them out of the way. And it was impossible to access the check in counter until the hundreds of people walked out to the train when everyone started boarding. Also, being a first timer to this experience walking into the chaos trying to navigate where to go first was challenging. Would have been nice to have stanchions and clear path to the check in counter. And once someone is checked in move them along to the next spot if that's the gift shop, or outside waiting area. And if you do come early as they recommend you're stuck standing until you get on the train. No place to sit inside, or at least none that I could see because it was shoulder to shoulder people. read more

See all

We last rode this train during the fall season a couple of years ago and were not impressed. Now, Spring 2025 was a very different experience starting with the train car. The seats appeared to be completely reupholstered and were very comfortable. Being a Thursday, our car was only about half full which gave us options to move around the car for viewing and photographing the spring scenery. The experience at The Fruit Company was pleasant with plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy our box lunch. It was a nice day which enabled us to have clear views Mount Hood and Mount Adams. A plus was watching the takeoff of a glider and tow plane from the Hood River Airport.* I spent the trip back to Hood River taking photographs that I missed on the way to The Fruit Company. A shout out to the excellent staff in the Depot and on the Train, especially Miles, our car attendant, and Dennis, our Conductor. * There is an excellent article on the gliders at Hood River Airport on OPB's Oregon Field Guide. read more

Fiely was so awesome! He made our experience so amazing. He took our picture and was funny. He was knowledgeable and considerate. This made for such a fun trip on the train. I would definitely recommend the ride. read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Our kids - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

My adult son (who has always loved trains since he was a wee boy) and I took the "Spring Train" from Hood River up to the flowering fruit orchards and The Fruit Company to do something different for my birthday. We went mid-week when it wasn't crowded, and got a free upgrade to a table without even asking! The train itself was old-fashioned and charming. It was also clean and comfortable, and the ride was slow and relaxing. Soft, old jazzy music played in the background. They had a small menu of sandwiches and beverages for sale, but also allowed us to bring our own snacks. The staff was very friendly. Our conductor was Dennis, dressed in old-fashioned conductor clothing, and totally playing the part with kind enthusiasm. We enjoyed his occasional history lessons, funny stories, and pointing out scenic spots along the way. It was a beautiful day, and we saw both Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams during our break at The Fruit Company. It was a very pleasurable, unique 2.5 hours. Highly recommend! read more

My husband and I make an annual trip in the fall to Mt. Hood Railroad for the railbikes. For the last two years we've had Chrissy as our tour guide and she's great. She's always enthusiastic and fun and has a smile on her face. The railbikes tour in the fall is always so beautiful to boot! The foliage is starting to turn and the air is crisp and cool and it feels wonderful to be outside in the woods. Make sure you arrive 30 minutes ahead of time to check in and bring some cash with you to tip! There is a tour guide, as well as three other assistants to make sure everything goes smoothly. read more

We did the rail bikes. What a great experience. I was hesitant at first because of the cost, which I admit if it included lunch, might have seemed like a better value. Nonetheless, it was fabulous, and I am so glad I did it. It is a unique, fun and relaxing experience. In all my travels, I have never come across anything like this. The bikes are electric, so just like a regular E-bike, you can pedal as little or as much as you like. I had previously done the Polar Express, and didn't feel like you could see much from the train, but I because you are going slower, and lower to the ground, you could see so much. The tracks go right along a small river. It was gorgeous. I overheard one of the guides say, they are looking at expanding the rail line, and possibly do a four-hour tour. Sign me up! read more

See all

Rode the railbikes with a friend and had so much fun. I'm a bit of a nervous nelly and it felt incredibly safe with still that touch of adventure. The staff were incredible including our guide Avid (like David without the D) and the rest of the crew (sorry, I don't remember all your names!) and I appreciate the effort they take to keep us moving safely and having a good time. The railbike experience is guided and you're in a group, but you are able to get quite a bit of distance and feel pretty alone if you want to. You stop at a switchback and get off once on the way out and once on the way back - the system for this is impressive in it's simplicity. You also stop half way at a spot where there is a museum/fruit related business and winery. You can purchase snacks or wine - most of our group ended up having a glass or tasting at the winery and enjoying the beautiful views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. The stop is 45 minutes - I had brought snacks and drinks but left them in the car - I wish I had brought them, because I would have enjoyed a little picnic there. The railbikes are powered - they used to be pedal assist, I'm told, but they now have a throttle much like an e-bike. Essentially meaning you don't have to pedal at all if you don't want to. A great way to spend a Friday afternoon. read more

We rented E-bikes and went to the twin tunnels. So much fun!!! I would recommend NOT staying in town with the E-bikes because of traffic and stop/start on hills being difficult. Just get a map to bike trail and head out. We loved it! read more

I received an actual call from staff when I was not there on time for the check in on the railbikes. They were super kind and understanding, and luckily I was able to make it in time to get the safety and basic instruction briefing. I'm SO happy to have done the railbikes with Mt. Hood Railway. Everything from the staff to the actual experience was outstanding. We got treats in our goody bags and two bottles of water. The stop at the Fruit Company provides a great photo op in front of Mt. Hood. The bikes themselves can be fully assisted by motor which is very good because my legs were a bit short to really use the pedals. I'm okay with that! I've been in a funk lately and the feeling of zooming through the forest on the rail was blissful and exactly what I needed. You get ample time on the track as well. Everything seems to be timed perfectly and no part of the ride seemed like it was too short or too long. Extra bonus points for our hosts for the laughs and the engagement during the course of the outing. I felt so welcome. I will definitely be back after this experience! read more

See all

Very fun! The whole crew was amazing!! We saw deer and lots of birds. Beautiful little waterfall. The winery was fun too with lovely views! read more

When: Friday April 26th; 2 Adults - 11:30 am Spring Train run Service: Fabulous customer service provided by all staff involved, from ticketing, train operators, hostesses and guides. All were professional, courteous and efficient. Train: The train was clean and updated both inside and outside. The seating for the "Premium Class" seats were comfortable with no window obstructions, in car 904. Tour: In my opinion, the actual train tour, although nostalgic and historical, does not take you on a very scenic route, other than lots of trees & brush. "Kodak" moments are few, such as when you're passing next to the Hood River and crossing over Highway 35. As most of you know, the railroad is owned by the The Fruit Company, so its main objective is to get potential customers up to their gift shop and purchase items. Notes: When purchasing tickets there are four pricing levels for the type of service you expect to receive. When passing through the VIP section it was nicely decorated with the service bar close by. I had no problems with our Premium seats. We did receive a snack, and a hostess stopped by each table taking drink and food orders. In my opinion, this is such a short train ride (45-min. one way), that I wouldn't splurge for the VIP seating. Since this particular Friday train ride was relatively empty, all passengers were consolidated into two cars. One for the VIP passengers and everyone consolidated into the Premium seating car. In other words, on this particular run, if you paid for standard seating, you would have got bumped up in class for FREE. read more

Fun experience, great staff, they provided table service on the train. The layover had beautiful views of mountains, orchards & vineyards.

We did the spring train called "Buds and Blossoms." We maybe saw some blooming fruit trees from a distance but, overall, the flower experience was underwhelming. Certainly not what I expected or was advertised. I saw more buds and blossoms on the side of I-84 than in 2 1/2 hours on the train. Keep in mind that 45 min of the excursion includes getting dropped off at the Fruit Co where you can purchase overpriced fruit, clearly from last year's harvest. You can also book a winery visit for that stop if you're so inclined. Over all, the stop was kind of boring although the panoramic views were quite nice. The staff is top notch and very friendly. The train itself is impressive. The history and unique abilities of the train (grade and the use of a switchback) make the ride worthwhile, ONCE. read more

During our adventures in Oregon, we stopped into Mount Hood Railroad for a tandem ride on their rail bikes. This 2.4 hour ride takes you along the scenic tour of the hood river towards mount hood. The tour also takes you to The Fruit company for a visit to the orchard and the opportunity to visit their gift shop (I highly recommend sampling some of their delicious fruits). I cannot express how much fun we had while rail biking! This was truly a memorable tour and one that I'd like to do again when I visit the area. If you're looking for a memorable and fun filled adventure, I highly recommend an adventure rail biking! read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Beautiful Mount Hood - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

Do yourself a huge favor...DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY on this lame train trip. Drive the fruit loop instead! Go experience picking fruit (pears, varieties of apples!) at several locations; go try different wineries, go see the fall foliage from your car! Go experience small farms selling their hard efforts from their road stands! How fun to talk with them about their produce!! Why would you spend your hard earned cash on this lame trip, which only goes to "The Fruit Company" for a 45 min stop? Promoted as "watch them build their famous fruit baskets and boxes", there were 2-3 ladies with about 4 packages to fill. Yawn. There was no tour of orchards, or the packing house, just a lame over priced awful box lunch ($18!) that could be pre purchased (DON'T!). It took 15 mins to exit the train, and wow, go look at a stupid overpriced gift shop. 30 more mins means time to bored (that's NOT A MIS-SPELLING!) where the conductor tries routines that failed at your local comedy club, then asks for favorable reviews on Google...but if it's less than 5 stars, don't leave them. Sorry Mr Conductor, you get 1 star and if I could, zero stars.... After reading reply I saw they ignored my comments, and we didn't get to go out in fields, and it was a very limited offering of over priced locally grown fruit at The Fruit Company. Go drive to the individual stands! A much better offering of local produce plus more foliage seen than on the train! read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Mt Hood Lame Train - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

We loved our ride! You can both pedal or e-ride, depending on your mood/exertion throughout the ride. Make sure to roll up your pant legs & wear shoes that don't have long laces (chain is exposed), otherwise super fun & would recommend to all! read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

We lucked out. It was a warm, sunny Friday in October. Great day for a train ride. I've known of the Hood River Polar Express train ride around the holidays; however,  I recently learned of the non-holiday option. Purchased tickets online and showed up for our Friday tour about 45 minutes before the 12 noon departure. There is a designated parking lot with a $10 parking fee. When buying tickets online you have an option to buy lunch from a taco food truck ( we didn't do that, instead we stopped for pizza at the Hood River waterfront after). I was surprised by the amount of people there- the train was full. Bottled water and chocolate covered cherries were provided at each table. The two hour adventure was fun. Our group of seven, enjoyed the ride through the fruit orchards, stop at the Fruit Company,  and Mt. Hood Winery. The views can't be beat and the ride was comfortable! The Hood River Valley Train Excursion runs from April through the end of October. read more

See all

Rode on the rail bikes and had a great time. Fun, beautiful scenery and great staff that were supportive.

The trains are classic, but they are also clean and seem to be well maintained. The staff are very nice, polite, funny, and dressed to match the ambience they are trying to create. We got premium seats and these are quite luxurious. We got 4 seats for the two of us and our 15 month old. We considered inviting another similar family but it didn't work out, which turned out to be a good thing because we needed all the space! The two of us sat on either side of the table while our toddler spent time on the table or bouncing back and forth between us! You can purchase parking either online, or you can park in their lot that's next to the railway track and pay there. You can order food in advance at the Fruit company stop, but I would say that since this is in Hood river and there are plenty of great cafes and restaurants, you have many options. The views are decent during the ride. The stop at The Fruit Company is the main attraction, and it is quite beautiful there. There is a great view of the mountain and sprawling fields. An antique(defunct) tractor, which my son enjoyed. The store has a good selection of chocolate, snacks, cider, and more. It was good overall to see once, and if I went again, I'd probably do it for an outing with friends/family. read more

Took the Summer Train today. 45 minutes of nothing but forest to see out the windows and then an hour stop at a fruit store. Then 45 minutes back looking at the same nothing as before. The only nice thing I can say about it is that the premium seats were comfortable. This was absolutely not worth the trouble of the round-trip drive from the Portland area. read more

We did the Polar express experience. It was wonderful. My children had a great time. We got the VIP tickets, so my family had extra room. The whole experience was organized, and the staff was really welcoming, personable, and friendly. I would definitely recommend this anyone that has small children. we will be doing this again read more

We had a blast on the train ride. Everything from the station through the ride was well organized and kept our whole group including teens entertained. The younger kids loved meeting Santa and getting a bell. The gift packages on the table were really pretty and had nice products from the Fruit Company. I would definitely come again. Everyone was in character and full of energy making it very fun! read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

Amazing ride! The bike have electric assist which was perfect when we just wanted to chill. Views were so pretty! Staff was friendly energetic and knowledgeable. Lots of dad jokes which made us laugh!! Would do it again!! We stopped at a winery and gift shop which was a nice stop to hang out at. read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Train tracks - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

Great day on the rail bikes! Very accommodating for the whole group with a wide variety of ages including family from out of town. everything went smooth and personell was professional and entertaining. read more

This was our second time with the Railroad. We have fond memories of the first trip. This trip, however, was much different. Trolley stops mostly involved waiting in a gravel parking lot. The winery people were Not-friendly - literally telling you to leave immediately if you didn't buy their wine. The railroad folks were nice but the ride overall was a bust. Not recommending it. read more

Mount Hood Railroad has a new owner who is a local and it shows! We come to Hood River every year and have been on the railroad 3 times. Historically there was neglect, lack of management, and a general dirtiness to everything, but now it couldn't be better! The staff were delightful, the host (conductor) was spot on and in character the whole time, and the trip went through some of the prettiest scenery in Hood River. Highly recommended to all. My only criticism is that if I recall correctly it used to go a bit further, but now it stops at a fruit factory which was nice, but I'd prefer to go further. read more

My best friend and I celebrated our 10 year friendiversary by buying the Railbike package! All the information we could've asked for was presented in the initial booking confirmation email which really aided in our success! Krissy was an amazing guide and we both had so much fun learning all about the bikes and depot! I've already recommended to family and friends! read more

We loved our experience and it was wonderful. My friends and my family had a great time together. I would do it again in the summer.

Added an extra star only because my 4yo said it was fun. Very disappointing experience. This is for Christmas mount hood railroad. It was supposed to be a 2 hour journey. They said only first class tickets. We got a compartment which was pretty ordinary. Started with hot chocolate and cookies. The only good thing. The route is not scenic. The photos posted on the site are misleading - they show elves dancing around/doing a parade. They also show cushion seats with trays + curtains. None of that happened. Our seats were not that comfortable. For the next 1 and half hour we are sitting in train - staring at each other. There was some music going on in the background. We reached Santa town which is basically a house decorated with some balloons (trust me I have seen better decorations at houses near our place). Then again, waiting for Santa. He comes in last 5mins, barely spends 1min with our daughter - Again let down - was hoping Santa to be more lively and fun, but this one seemed quite dull. Definitely not recommending anyone! Waste of money and time. read more

Mount Hood Railroad - Trains Near Me - Hood River, Oregon

I was visiting my BFF in Portland & she set up this train ride. It was so much fun. We brought our own picnic & set up our spread in our booth on the train. It was really nice to take a ride through nature & then a short break at the top of the line. We walked around a bit - took pics of Mt Hood & then made our way back. Highly recommend. read more

See all

Christmas train was a flop ! Best part was the person who clipped the tickets, the train ride was horrible there are ZERO views ... paper cup hot chocolate no refills my son never got one since the "kitchen was slow " as the elf said . Then we got 1 cookie each . There was blasted Christmas music as we sat at a card table in first class .... You couldn't hear the "story time " the train was pretty cold the whole time . For the 300+ I would never do this dumb train again there was nothing magical about this ride . They advertise this completely differently.. don't waste your time or money read more

The Polar Express was really fun You really made it special - loved seeing how delighted everyone's faces were, especially the little bitties on the train, but even our teens and tweens were fully engaged! read more

The Santa/Polar Express train was a solid 3-star experience (probably 4 if you ask my toddler). Reading the yelp reviews just before embarking certainly gave me a ton of anxiety but our time on the train was a bit better than others' apparently. Mask adherence was pretty good among our fellow passengers, but not perfect. Note that the depot gets VERY crowded prior to departure so plan for that. The hot chocolate was fine! Definitely from a powder mix, but fine! The view was typical Hood River Valley -- it'd snowed a bit the days before so there was some on the trees and orchards. The decorations at the "north pole" destination certainly left something to be desired but kids are better able to suspend their disbelief than cranky adults. We were lucky in that we were seated at the very first table by the characters' entrance so I think our kids got a good amount of time with Santa and his friends compared to people in the other cars. The price was steep, for sure, so there is definitely no special value in this trip. Not something we will repeat. read more

We had a blast! Conductor Luke and car attendants Naiya and Cambria took great care of us. We took this trip to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. The cast and crew did such a good job of creating the polar express experience. We agreed that it was a fabulous way to celebrate. Thank you all. read more