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Niles Canyon Railway

Niles Canyon Railway

Highlight • Historical Site

Niles Canyon Railway

Recommended by 19 road cyclists out of 21

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Location: Sunol, Alameda County, California, United States

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Best Road Cycling Rides to Niles Canyon Railway

5.0

(1)

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1. Sunol Depot – Niles Canyon Railway loop from Berryessa

83.0km

03:58

1,080m

Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Hard

5.0

(4)

165

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2. Palomares Road – Foothill Road — Pleasanton loop from Union City

61.5km

02:50

630m

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Moderate

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3. Niles Canyon Railway – Sunol Depot loop from Fremont

46.5km

01:52

220m

Easy road ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Easy

Tips

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

March 29, 2021

The history of trains in Niles Canyon dates back to the building of the original transcontinental railroad. The first Western Pacific Railroad Company (formed in 1862) started construction in San Jose towards Sacramento. It built twenty miles of track that reached into Alameda Creek canyon in 1866. Its first passenger excursion entered the canyon on October 2 of that year. Construction was halted shortly thereafter, however, because of disagreements between the railroad’s contractors and its financiers. In September, 1869, four months after the famous golden spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah, the Central Pacific Railroad completed the transcontinental rail link between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay, finishing the track through the canyon. The CP had acquired the Western Pacific and other local railroads and built track to connect them at a waterfront terminal at Alameda Point. Very few rebuilding programs by the railroad left the Niles Canyon line with much of its original cut stone bridge abutments, culverts and retaining walls from the original Western Pacific’s right of way (circa 1865). These unique constructions can still be seen today.
Steam locomotives pulled trains through Niles Canyon for eighty years before diesels took over in the 1950s. In 1984, after twelve decades of railroading in the canyon, the Southern Pacific ceased operating trains on the right-of-way, pulled up the tracks, and deeded the land to Alameda County.
The Pacific Locomotive Association entered into an agreement with the county and began rebuilding the rail line in 1987. Association volunteers worked for over a year on the first part of the track reconstruction between Sunol and Brightside. On May 21, 1988, almost 122 years after the first Western Pacific excursion, the Pacific Locomotive Association brought railroad passenger operations back to life in Niles Canyon. Presently, Niles Canyon Railway provides train rides to the public year-round between Sunol, California and Niles in Fremont, California. ncry.org

Alex

May 16, 2025

The history of trains in Niles Canyon dates back to the building of the original transcontinental railroad. Today, you can still take train trips around the scenic and historic Niles Canyon Route on old-timey steam /diesel trains.

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Details

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Elevation 30 m

Weather

Today

Monday 22 December

18°C

13°C

61 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

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Location: Sunol, Alameda County, California, United States

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, Oak Tree Picnic area

Sunol Depot

Fremont Central Park

Alameda Creek Trail

Vallejo Mill Historical Park

Upper Ranch Trail

Sunol Peak

Coyote Creek bridge

Alamo Canal Trail & Iron Horse Trail junction

Alameda Creek Trail - Niles Junction

Stevens Creek Trail (complete: Cupertino - SF Bay)

Alameda Creek Trail

Niles Canyon Railway

1. Sunol Depot – Niles Canyon Railway loop from Berryessa

2. Palomares Road – Foothill Road — Pleasanton loop from Union City

3. Niles Canyon Railway – Sunol Depot loop from Fremont

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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