All aboard America’s most scenic rail journeys

Table of Contents




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Highlights of this remarkable journey include crossing the Continental Divide and enjoying spectacular scenery and extraordinary landscapes, including Ruby Canyon, Mount Logan and Mount Garfield (pictured). Like its SilverLeaf service level Canadian counterparts, the train will only run during the day and features oversized windows and glass-domed coaches to maximize the views.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.





Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


The train typically departs three times a week and is grouped among the most spectacular train routes in America. As with all long-distance Amtrak trains, there’s a wide range of accommodation available, as well as the Sightseer Lounge to soak in those sparkling views of the Pacific shoreline.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.





Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad frequently finds itself among lists of the world’s greatest train journeys – and it’s not hard to see why. On the 45-mile (72km) each way route, the train crosses the Animas River five times and winds its way through canyons in the stark wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. Travelers pass farmlands, old stagecoach roads and the brooding Tacoma Power Plant along the way.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Passengers can cross the border with Canada in style straight from New York City on Amtrak’s Adirondack, which weaves its leisurely way through the Hudson River Valley. It passes lush farmlands north of Albany on a 10-hour journey into Montréal via Poughkeepsie, Hudson and Saratoga Springs.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


The Mount Washington Cog Railway, the first of its kind in the world, runs scenic rides to the summit of Mount Washington. Located in stunning Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in the heart of the White Mountains, this National Historic Engineering Landmark is certainly a fun way to discover rural New England. Passengers ride in brightly colored vintage cars from 1869 and three-hour round trips depart daily from May to October.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


Running on 44 miles (70.8km) of track, some of which dates back to the 1890s, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is an impossibly romantic way to experience the beauty of North Carolina. Traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers, the vintage train cars carry day-trippers past mountains, through forests and over the historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle on a four-and-a-half-hour round trip.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


The Empire Builder is yet another of Amtrak’s epic cross-country routes covering vast swathes of the USA and incredibly varied terrain. There’s a historic dimension to the journey too, since the train follows portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail. Departing from Chicago, travelers glide past the Mississippi River before hitting the illuminated night skyline of Minneapolis and St Paul.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


As the name suggests, this breathtaking train journey leads its passengers through the mighty Denali National Park. The Alaska Railroad’s flagship train, Denali Star embarks on a 12-hour ride between Anchorage and Fairbanks via Wasilla, Talkeetna and Denali. Along the 365-mile (587km) journey, the train rushes past rivers and mountains and offers expansive panoramas of Hurricane Gulch from the top of a 296-foot (90.2m) bridge.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


One of the most leisurely ways to explore the area’s celebrated wineries, the Napa Valley Wine Train is a classic. It runs on a 36-mile (58km) loop from Downton Napa to charming St Helena on an original 1864 rail line and has a range of packages on offer, from half-a-day winery tours with tastings to lavish on-board dining experiences and special events, like the Murder Mystery dinner theater option.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


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