My small group, a grandson of a small group member and my daughter drove up to Ione, WA and took the Lions Train round trip ride between Ione and Metaline Falls. We had a beautiful and blessed day :~) Below is a wonderful description from the Lions Train Rides website!
The 11/2 hour round trip begins in Ione (except over Labor
Day Weekend when it runs from Metaline Falls to Ione and return) and runs north
through the canyon ten miles to
Metaline Falls.
Shortly after leaving Ione, you roll
through the countryside. Soon, you cross the highway just outside the town and
enter the river canyon. As the train winds along the cliffs and through the
cuts more than a 100 feet above the river, take in views of the river not seen
from the highway. If you watch closely enough, you might glimpse an eagle
catching trout from the river, or an elk grazing on the far bank. The route is
sprinkled with apple trees, the result of railroad workers throwing apple cores
away as they traveled the tracks.
As the slope drops away to the river,
you feel as though the train is floating on air. On your right are sheer rock
walls stretching skyward from the water, on your left is a dam completed in
1956 and strung between rock islands rising out of the river.
Ahead is a majestic trestle completed
on October 14, 1910. When the train stops on the trestle, you can enjoy a
stunning view of Box Canyon Dam. After crossing the river the train climbs up
the mountain, rocking along on the twisting tracks to plunge into the first of
two tunnels on the line. The 810 foot long Vail tunnel, lined with concrete in
1953, takes you through a spur of the mountain that juts out into the valley.
Since the completion of the railway
in the fall of 1910, the forest has grown dense around the tracks, and wildlife
abounds. Soon the train crests the grade and begins its decent to Metaline
Falls through a bore in a rocky knoll and across a number of wooden trestles
spanning numerous gulches and gullies.
As you coast into Metaline Falls, you
can see the large cement holding silos of the Inland Portland Cement Plant
constructed in 1910. Metaline Falls is a quiet little village tucked away in
the mountains just south of the Canadian border.
After the train eases to a halt, the
engine cuts away to reconnect to the other end of the train for the return
trip. The train has been known to be robbed by Ma Cutter and her gang while
waiting for the engine to couple back up. Don't fear as they are only looking
for donations for the historic Cutter Theatre in Metaline Falls.
No passengers are allowed off the
train until it returns to the ride origination point. You can buy tickets here on
our website any time or call 1-877-5ALL-ABOARD (1-877-525-5226) between 6 AM and 5 PM Monday through Friday. For more
information, e-mail information here, call us, or explore our website further.
