New Hampshire Photo Spots: How to Find The Iconic & Insta-Famous Train

Why is this spot famous?

Like most famous places, Instagram influencers and photographers have shown this place to world, adding it to many bucket lists, especially for those already embarking on a New England or Fall Foliage road trip.

This spot is so special because it’s a perfect storm of a moving train, colorful fall foliage, and a high vantage point ideal for viewing. It’s a photographer’s dream.

Best Time of Year to Visit?

The railroad only operates from late May through mid-November, and coming from a born and raised Northeasterner, you don’t want to visit in the winter unless you’re coming for skiing. It gets COLD.

Nobody does fall like the Northeast! I might be biased, but there’s no better place for fall colors, so I think autumn is the best time to come. Check out this foliage tracker to help plan your visit for the best time to come during peak.

How Do I Get There?

The name of this spot is Willey Brook Trestle in North Conway, New Hampshire. There are two ways to get there.

The first way, and seemingly most popular, is a short pathway up through the woods that will take you straight up to the train tracks. This trail is short and straight, but can be muddy, slippery and dangerous, especially after rainfall. There is a small unpaved parking area at the bottom of this trail, making this secret path not so secret after all. This path does not appear on AllTrails, so type these coordinates into Google Maps: 44.199948, -71.406786 and it will take you directly to where you can park.

Alternatively, you can simply walk along the train track until you arrive at the trestle. This is undoubtedly a longer walk, but it is easier.

No matter which way you come, you’ll come to the trestle. Cross it, and you’ll see a rock face to climb if you want a higher vantage point. This is where I am positioned in my photos. The climb is a little tricky, so I recommend having proper footwear.

A Word of Caution...

I already mentioned the possible dangers of hiking up the secret pathway, and I don’t think I need to remind anyone of the dangers of walking along train tracks whilst waiting for a train to come. But this spot is a little more complicated than that.

If you venture up the secret path like I did, then you won’t see any signs. It wasn’t until I was sitting up there and the train passed us by that one of the employees working on the train yelled at someone down below for trespassing. We all looked at each other and thought this was very odd because dozens of people walk up and down those tracks every day all day long.

It wasn’t until I walked back the other way via the tracks themselves that I noticed trespassing signs at the very beginning.

Knowing what I know now, I can’t in good conscience recommend that anyone else go here because I can’t condone trespassing. However, it doesn’t appear that the rules are enforced or that anyone currently gets in trouble, so if you choose to come here, enter at your own risk.

My prediction is that as this spot grows in popularity, the rules will be more heavily enforced. Hopefully, we don’t lose access to this magical spot altogether like we did with Sleepy Hollow Farm in Vermont.

Leave No Trace

Please leave no trace when you visit so we can preserve the magic of places like this for those who come after us. Hopefully if we continue to respect this space, then we will continue to be allowed here without repercussions.

You can brush up on their principles on the Leave No Trace website.

When Does the Train Come?

This question was IMPOSSIBLE to discern, even after I scoured the internet, called the train station, and asked every influencer I know. No one seemed to have the answer, so I just had to wait and find out for myself. Lucky for you, you’ve stumbled upon my blog post where I don’t gatekeep information.

The train passes between 1-2pm approximately. It returns between 3-4pm. If you want a view of the front of the train (which most people do), you’ll want to catch it at the later time. I suggest arriving a bit early just incase the schedule is a little off and also so you can secure a spot, because there will undoubtedly be other photographers here, especially during peak fall foliage.

This is subject to change in the future if the train schedule changes.

Can I Fly My Drone Here?

During my time here, I saw several people fly their drones, even while the train was passing by. I also heard mutterings of complaints, but there are always people who will complain about drones disturbing the peace. I personally chose not to fly my drone here, but again, this is one of those things where you’ll be skirting around the law, so do so at your own risk.

Can I Ride This Train?

Yes! This particular train is the Mountaineer train. It’s a 4-5.5 hour “supremely scenic” journey through the mountains, perfect for leaf peeping. This train consists of 1950s-era streamlined passenger cars to recreate the experience of a post World War II transcontinental streamlined train. It takes you through the Mount Washington Valley and Crawford Notch. This train also serves food.

I rode on the Conway Valley Train. It’s only an hour ride, but it’s not very scenic. It’s still a nice ride nonetheless!

You can check out their website to view the different train rides, schedules, and to purchase tickets.

Alternate Photo Spots

There is another spot called Frankenstein Trestle where you can also walk along the tracks. As opposed to Willey Brook, this trail does exist on AllTrails.

I personally didn’t check this one out myself due to lack of time, and I felt the view from Willey Brook would be better due to access to a higher vantage point. I’m also not certain of the train schedule for Frankenstein Trestle, whether it’s the same train that passes on Willey Brook or at what time.

Keep in mind that even though it does appear on AllTrails as the “Frankenstein Cliff Trail” as a 3.8 mile round trip hike, you don’t need to complete the entire hike to reach the trestle. Only keep going if you want to reach the cliffs that the hike is named after,

You can also venture further North to Franconia, New Hampshire and do the incredibly beautiful Artist’s Bluff Hike, or check out Stowe or Woodstock – both towns in Vermont known for being incredibly picturesque. Many of the best fall foliage spots are in driving distance from one another, so I highly recommend renting a car (or driving your own if you’re not too far away) and spending a week or so doing a New England fall foliage road trip.