California Christmas Train Rides (2026): A Complete Guide

Last revised: September 2, 2026

California’s Christmas trains are their own products: Napa’s dining-car Santa Train, Campo’s North Pole Limited, Niles Canyon’s lighted canyon run, Roaring Camp’s Boardwalk lights, the Skunk Train’s redwood Christmas tree, and Portola’s carload Santa nights. Licensed Polar Express is in Sacramento, Jamestown, and Perris. Those stay on the California Polar page.

The Niles Canyon Railway's Train of Lights. Niles Canyon Railway photo.

On this page: At a glance · Christmas hosts · Planning tips

California Christmas trains at a glance

Host	City	2026 product	Deep dive
Napa Valley Wine Train	Napa	Santa Train Jolly Journeys (~2 hr, 36-mile Napa–St. Helena). Afternoon trains Dec. 21–23. Dining-train fares—confirm live	Napa Santa 2026
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum	Campo	North Pole Limited, Nov. 27–Dec. 20 (Fri–Sun). ~90 min. Coach from $15 child / $30 adult	Campo North Pole Limited 2026
Niles Canyon Railway	Fremont / Sunol	Train of Lights, Nov. 20–Dec. 30 (no Dec. 24–25). ~90 min. Niles 4:30 p.m. / Sunol 7:30 p.m. Sale Oct. 3, 10 a.m. General seating from $40 + fees	Railroad site
Roaring Camp Railroads	Felton / Santa Cruz	Holiday Tree Walk (steam to Bear Mountain) and Holiday Lights Train from the Boardwalk (Nov. 27–28, Dec. 5–6, 12–23). ~60–75 min	Railroad site
Skunk Train	Willits	Magical Christmas / Mr. Skunk’s Giant Christmas Tree when posted. Confirm 2026 dates	Railroad site
Western Pacific Railroad Museum	Portola	Santa Trains Dec. 5, 11, 12, 18, 19. Gates 4 p.m., trains from 5 p.m. $20/carload or $15 with four canned goods	Railroad site

Schedules and fares change. Confirm on each railroad before you book. Information compiled September 1, 2026. These are Christmas trains—not licensed THE POLAR EXPRESS™ events. Sacramento, Jamestown, and Perris Polar are on the California Polar page.

Christmas hosts

Napa Valley Wine Train

(Napa): Downtown McKinstry Street Station. Four 2026 Santa products on the same 36-mile round trip toward St. Helena: Santa’s Cookie Car, Gourmet Holiday Express, Jingle on the Rails, and Very Merry Vista Dome. Tableside Santa, cocoa or a three-course kid-friendly dinner depending on class. Evening trains through the season; afternoon Jolly Journeys December 21, 22, and 23. This is a dining train, not Polar Express.

2026: Book on winetrain.com. Full product page: Napa Santa Train 2026.

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

(Campo): Old San Diego & Arizona depot about an hour east of San Diego. North Pole Limited is cocoa, cookies, carols, and a stop for Santa and Mrs. Claus. Fridays and Saturdays at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.; Sundays at 3:00 and 5:00. Campo nights are cold. Steam is not a blanket promise.

2026: November 27–December 20. Coach from $15 / $30 as listed. psrm.org/npl. Full product page: Campo North Pole Limited 2026.

Niles Canyon Railway

(Fremont / Sunol): Volunteer Pacific Locomotive Association on a preserved piece of the First Transcontinental. Train of Lights is the year’s fundraiser: cars dressed inside and out, about 90 minutes through the canyon after dark. Niles (37029 Mission Blvd.) at 4:30 p.m.; Sunol (6 Kilkare Road) at 7:30 p.m. Open cars and enclosed coaches. Not Polar Express.

2026: November 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29; December 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30. No Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Tickets Saturday, October 3, 10:00 a.m. General seating has been listed from $40 plus fees. ncry.org/ride/train-of-lights.

Roaring Camp Railroads

(Felton / Santa Cruz): Two different Christmas rides. Holiday Tree Walk is the Redwood Forest Steam Train to Bear Mountain—cider, Santa, decorated trees, about 75 minutes. Holiday Lights Train leaves the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and rolls lighted cars through town streets, about 60 minutes, with cider and a Santa walk-through. Standard canopy cars have been listed around $58 adult / $38 child including a $10 Boardwalk card; confirm 2026.

2026: Holiday Lights Train November 27–28 and December 5–6, 12–23 as posted. Tree Walk typically the day after Thanksgiving and December weekends. New Year’s Lights Train December 26–31 is a different ticket. roaringcamp.com.

Skunk Train (California Western)

(Willits): Holiday listings have been the Magical Christmas Train to Mr. Skunk’s Giant Christmas Tree—a decorated redwood along the Noyo River line, cocoa, cookies, and a workshop stop. Fort Bragg keeps year-round Pudding Creek scenic trains; the Christmas tree product has been a Willits departure. Confirm which depot and which 2026 dates are actually on sale.

2026: Calendar on skunktrain.com. Do not treat last December’s grid as this year’s.

Western Pacific Railroad Museum

(Portola): Feather River Rail Society. The museum is closed to casual winter visitors except Santa Train nights: a lighted train around the grounds, homemade cookies, cider, cocoa, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. Weather permitting in the Sierra. Gates 4:00 p.m.; trains from 5:00 until everyone has a turn (often about 8:00).

2026: December 5, 11, 12, 18, and 19. Non-member admission $20 per carload, or $15 with four canned goods for the Portola food bank. Members free. wplives.org. Call (530) 832-4131 if the weather looks ugly.

Planning tips

Niles Canyon Train of Lights sale is October 3 at 10 a.m. Weekend nights go first.
Campo is a dark mountain drive after the 7:00 p.m. train. Build the hour from San Diego.
Napa is a dining reservation as much as a train ticket. Pick the class you actually want.
Fillmore & Western is closed. Do not plan a Fillmore Christmas train.
Licensed Polar Express is Sacramento, Jamestown, and Perris—the California Polar page, not here.