Frostburg, Maryland — Est. 1888
The Tunnel Hotel: Frostburg, Maryland's 1888 Railroad Inn
A stone-arch railroad inn at the foot of Main Street, beside the depot, the turntable, and the rails the railbikes still ride.
- Year the inn was built
- 1888
- Steam train arrives next door
- 12:45 PM
- Contactless check-in
- 24 hr
- Queen rooms from
- $69.99
The Tunnel Hotel has stood at 20 Depot Street since 1888 — a stone-arch railroad inn built when Frostburg was a coal-and-rail town and the depot below Main Street was the busiest spot in it. Adam and Julie Forshee run it today; long-time visitors will remember it as the Trail Inn at Frostburg.
If you're searching for a hotel in Frostburg, MD, here's the honest picture: this is a small mountain town in far-western Maryland, minutes from the West Virginia line, with a university, a steam railroad, and a historic downtown climbing the hill above the old depot district. The Tunnel Hotel sits at the bottom of that hill, right where the town's railroad story happened.
The Tunnel Hotel · 20 Depot St, Frostburg, MD — 300 yards from the GAP trail. Open full map
An 1888 Railroad Inn, Not a Replica
The stone arches are original. The building went up in 1888 to serve the railroad, and it never stopped being a railroad building — it stands directly beside the old grade, and pedal-powered railbikes still run on those rails today, operated by Tracks & Yaks from 19 Depot Street next door. The house line is sleep by the rails, and the geography backs it up.
That heritage shapes the stay. This is an inn with history in the walls rather than a chain property off an exit ramp, and the depot district around it — the Frostburg Depot, the railroad turntable, the Thrasher Carriage Museum next door — is a stretch of working Americana you can wander before breakfast.
The Steam Train Comes to You
Frostburg is the turnaround for the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, and the timing is a gift: steam locomotive 1309 pulls the Frostburg Flyer into the depot beside the hotel at 12:45 PM and steams out again at 2:15 PM. You don't need a ticket to enjoy the spectacle — the arrival, the turntable work, and the whistle are simply part of the neighborhood.
Prefer to ride the rails yourself? Depot Street is the launch point for railbike excursions, from the two-hour Helmstetter Hotshot at $99 per tandem railbike to the four-hour Queen City Combo at $169, plus the Track and Yak trip that pairs a railbike run with kayaking.
Downtown, FSU, and the Weekends That Fill the Town
Downtown Frostburg — the shops, restaurants, and breweries along the hilltop — is a walk up from the hotel. It's a genuine college-town main street, because Frostburg State University is here, and that matters for booking: move-in, family weekend, and graduation dates fill the town fast. Parents visiting FSU students get a practical bonus at The Tunnel Hotel — check-in never closes. Your door code comes by text message, so a Friday-night drive that lands at 11 PM is a non-event.
Beyond town, Rocky Gap State Park and its casino are about 20 miles away, and the Great Allegheny Passage rail-trail passes 300 yards from the hotel if anyone in the family wants to walk or ride a stretch of it.
Rates, the Cafe, and How Booking Works
Queen rooms start at $69.99 a night; deluxe queens with pull-out beds sleep four from $79.99; the Railrider Retreat Suite runs $109.99; and the Big Savage Bunk Room takes a group of six for $149. Downstairs, the Trail Inn Cafe handles the mornings — hot breakfast and real coffee — plus sandwiches and local beer later in the day, all chargeable to your room.
Book direct at /book: no online booking fees, cards handled by Stripe. Cancel 72 hours out for your money back in full, move your dates with 48 hours notice, and know that inside those windows the room is yours to use or lose — unless weather forces the operator to cancel, in which case you get a full refund or credit. Checkout is 11:00 AM. Questions travel fastest by phone: 240-943-2048.
Beds 300 yards off the trail
All rooms & camping
Tracks & Yaks, right next door
All experiences
Helmstetter Hotshot
Two hours on the rails out to Helmstetter's Curve, the iconic horseshoe bend famous with railfans and photographers.
from $99
Details →Queen City Combo — AM (Frostburg)
Railbike down the mountain in the morning, then ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's Frostburg Flyer back up. Rails both ways.
from $169
Details →
Track and Yak
The signature combo: guided railbike plus a kayak paddle. Kayak (single or double) is included — track and yak in one afternoon.
from $169
Details →Planning answers, no fluff
Is there a hotel near downtown Frostburg, MD?
Yes — The Tunnel Hotel at 20 Depot Street sits in the depot district at the base of the hill, a walk from downtown Frostburg's shops, restaurants, and breweries. It's an 1888 stone railroad inn with queen rooms from $69.99.
Where should parents stay for Frostburg State University weekends?
The Tunnel Hotel is in town, with rooms sleeping two to six and a door code delivered by SMS, so a late Friday arrival is no problem. Book early for move-in, family weekend, and graduation — those dates fill Frostburg quickly.
Can you see the steam train from The Tunnel Hotel?
The Frostburg Depot is adjacent to the hotel, and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's locomotive 1309 brings the Frostburg Flyer in at 12:45 PM, departing at 2:15 PM. The depot and turntable are steps away, so the whole turnaround happens in front of you.
What are check-in and checkout times at The Tunnel Hotel?
Check-in is contactless and available around the clock — the code for your room door arrives by text, so any arrival hour works. Checkout is 11:00 AM.
How old is The Tunnel Hotel in Frostburg?
The building dates to 1888, built as a stone-arch railroad inn beside the Frostburg depot. It operated for years as the Trail Inn at Frostburg and is now owned by Adam and Julie Forshee.