Railroads built the United States, and they’re still one of the most relaxing ways to watch the country unfold—no traffic, no TSA shuffle, just scenery sliding past your window. From pine-rimmed Rocky Mountain passes to desert mesas painted pink at sunset, these 10 Scenic Train Journeys Across America prove the journey really can be the destination. Below, you’ll find where to board each train, how far it rolls, and a handy link to start plotting your ticket. Grab a window seat and let America glide by.
California Zephyr
Slip into a Superliner at Chicago Union Station and settle in for the 2,438-mile trek to the San Francisco Bay on the California Zephyr. The route crosses seven states, climbing the Front Range at dawn, skirting Ruby Canyon by lunch, and cresting the Sierra Nevada before rolling into Emeryville 51 hours later. Conductors point out milestones like Moffat Tunnel and Donner Pass, while the Sightseer Lounge turns the Rockies into a panoramic IMAX. It’s long, yes, but the constantly changing scenery makes the miles melt away.
Coast Starlight
If you’d rather hug the Pacific, board the Coast Starlight in Seattle’s King Street Station and ride 1,377 miles to Los Angeles’ Union Station. Snow-capped Mount Shasta greets you after Portland, vineyards sweep past near San Luis Obispo, and cliff-edge surf pounds against the rails through Ventura. The whole two-day journey feels like a moving postcard—especially from the glass-roofed Pacific Parlour Car available to sleeper passengers. Keep your eyes peeled for orcas in Puget Sound on departure and dolphins as you glide into L.A.
Empire Builder
Depart Chicago nightly on the Empire Builder and trace 2,206 miles of Lewis-and-Clark country to Seattle (or Portland). You’ll cross the Mississippi at sunset, wake up in North Dakota’s wheat seas, and lunch beside Glacier National Park’s jagged peaks before the train threads Washington’s Cascades. Boarding is a breeze at Chicago Union Station; 46 hours later you’re stepping onto the Emerald City’s King Street platform. Bring binoculars—bighorn sheep sometimes graze the slopes near Essex, Montana.
Rockies to the Red Rocks
New on the map, Rocky Mountaineer’s Rockies to the Red Rocks carries you 357 miles from Denver’s Union Station to Moab, Utah in two leisurely daylight segments. Plush dome cars mean every seat is “window,” and open vestibules let you snap the hanging cliffs of Ruby Canyon without a pane in the way. An overnight stay in Glenwood Springs splits the trip, so you can soak in thermal pools before sliding past sandstone arches and buttes the next morning. It’s desert color-therapy on rails.
Grand Canyon Railway
For a classic daytrip, park in tiny Williams, Arizona, and hop the coal-burning Grand Canyon Railway for the 65-mile climb to the South Rim. Cowboys strum guitars in the historic 1923 depot before the train rattles over high desert and ponderosa forests, arriving just steps from Mather Point. You’ll have about three hours to peer into the mile-deep chasm before the afternoon return, making it a stress-free way to dodge park traffic. Upgrade to the open-air observation dome for raptor-level views.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge
In Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, the Durango & Silverton steams 45 miles along the Animas River, climbing 3,000 feet from Durango’s Victorian depot to the old mining town of Silverton. The 3-foot-wide track clings to “Highline” ledges where sheer canyon walls drop 400 feet to turquoise water—a vertigo-inducing thrill best experienced from an open gondola car. Allow the full day: 3.5 hours up, lunch in Silverton, then trundle home beneath avalanched peaks glowing gold at sunset.
Alaska Railroad — Denali Star
Summer in the Far North means round-the-clock light, perfect for the Denali Star between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Over 356 miles, dome-topped coaches reveal salmon-choked Susitna River, caribou on alpine tundra, and—on clear days—Denali towering 20,310 feet above everything. Board at Anchorage Depot around 8 a.m.; ten unhurried hours later you’re in Fairbanks, having crossed half the state. Splurge on GoldStar Service for outdoor platforms and a private dining car serving reindeer sausage omelets.
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
The Cumbres & Toltec straddles the Colorado–New Mexico border on 64 miles of 19th-century narrow gauge, climbing 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass and skirting Toltec Gorge’s 600-foot drop. Depart Antonito, Colorado (or Chama, New Mexico) for a six-hour steam-powered time warp through aspen glades and volcanic tuff tunnels, lunching midway at Osier. Because tracks zigzag across the state line eleven times, you’ll rack up bragging rights for “visiting” two states in one afternoon.
Adirondack
New York City’s Penn Station is the launch pad for Amtrak’s Adirondack, a 381-mile glide up the Hudson, past Catskill waterfalls and Adirondack peaks, to the Canadian border at Champlain Valley in just under 11 hours. Fall foliage turns the riverbanks into a flame-colored slideshow, and café-car apple cider feels downright poetic as you pass West Point’s granite walls. Even if you hop off in Saratoga Springs, you’ll have soaked up a masterclass in Northeast scenery.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Finally, head to Bryson City, North Carolina, and board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad for the 44-mile Nantahala Gorge Excursion. vintage diesel engines nose through hardwood forests, over 780-foot Fontana Lake trestle, and into a chasm where Class IV rapids froth beneath the rails. The roundtrip takes 4.5 hours, with a riverside layover for barbecue and microbrews. Peaks of the Smokies loom overhead, and in October, crimson sugar maples steal the show.
