In an age where everything is about going fast, there is something wildly refreshing about taking the scenic route. And this is what rail travel is all about. Trains may not be the fastest way to get around, but they sure do have the best views and ambiance.
America has deep roots in the rail industry. What started from the need to connect vast landscapes before planes zipped us around has become a timelessly cool travel experience.
It’s less about the destination and more about the journey. It’s about slowing down to absorb the beauty of the USA from an up-close-and-personal perspective. From coastline to coastline, these are ten of the most beautiful train rides you can take across the U.S. today.
17. Napa Valley Wine Train, California
The Napa Valley Wine Train rolls you through California’s wine country for 36 miles in beautifully restored vintage railcars from the early 1900s. This route runs from downtown Napa up to St. Helena and loops back. It usually takes around three hours, round trip.
Large windows frame endless vineyards and those classic Napa hills. The tracks themselves date all the way back to 1864—kind of wild to think about. They’ve restored the old Pullman cars with care, keeping all the luxury touches and elegant dining spaces intact.
You can dig into gourmet meals and try local wines as you ride. Sometimes the train even stops at nearby wineries for tastings. Depending on the season, the Wine Train switches things up. Around the holidays, they run a Santa train for families and other themed rides.
It’s a solid way to explore Napa without worrying about driving. You get to eat, drink, and soak in those Northern California vineyard views. Not bad, right?
16. White Pass & Yukon Route, Alaska
The White Pass & Yukon Route feels like a trip back to the gold rush days. This narrow-gauge railroad starts in Skagway, Alaska and climbs up into Canada’s Yukon Territory. Workers built the line in 1898, following the same trail gold seekers used over a century ago. The train climbs 3,000 feet through wild, rugged country.
You pass glacial rivers, steep gorges, and waterfalls that tumble down the mountains. The forests seem to stretch forever. The train crosses wooden trestles high above rushing water, curving around tight bends with some seriously dramatic drop-offs.
Trips last about 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on your route. Some stop at the White Pass Summit; others keep going deeper into the Yukon. Either way, it’s a ride you won’t forget.
15. Adirondack, New York City to Montréal
The Amtrak Adirondack takes you from New York City up to Montreal in about 10 hours. It’s a 380-mile journey and honestly one of the prettiest train rides in the country. You start at Moynihan Train Hall in Manhattan and head north through the Hudson Valley—wine country, river views, and all.
The train hugs the Hudson River for miles, passing historic towns and sleepy villages. It’s the kind of landscape that makes you want to stare out the window the whole way. As you reach the Adirondacks, Lake Champlain appears, with mountains on both sides. It’s peaceful, especially as you cross into Canada and the rolling Quebec countryside.
Want to break up the trip? Stop in Saratoga Springs for a spa day or check out Ausable Chasm for some adventure. The Adirondack runs daily, connecting two major cities through some of the Northeast’s best scenery.
14. Verde Canyon Railroad, Arizona
In Clarkdale, Arizona, you’ll find the Verde Canyon Railroad, which winds through untouched wilderness you can’t reach by car. It’s a hidden gem, honestly. This historic train runs between Clarkdale and Perkinsville, following old mining tracks built for Jerome’s copper boom.
You roll through red rock canyons and desert landscapes. Panoramic windows make it easy to catch every view.
Vintage locomotives pull the train, adding a bit of old-school charm. You might spot eagles or even javelinas along the route. In fall, the canyon leaves turn gold and the red rocks look even more stunning. It’s a photographer’s dream.
Tickets start at about $119 per person, with options for first-class seating if you want extra comfort. The four-hour round trip lets you see Arizona’s wild side without lacing up hiking boots. At Perkinsville, the locomotives switch ends and you head back.
13. California Zephyr, Chicago to San Francisco
The California Zephyr runs daily between Chicago and San Francisco, covering 2,438 miles in about 52 hours. It’s a classic, for good reason. You cross Nebraska’s endless plains to Denver, then wind through the Rockies to Salt Lake City.
After that, you roll through Reno and Sacramento before reaching Emeryville, California. Buses connect you to San Francisco and Oakland if that’s your final stop. People call this the most beautiful train ride in America. You’ll see snow-capped mountains, deep canyons, and wild rivers—sometimes all in the same day.
The trip takes three days and two nights. You can pick from different room types and meal options, depending on your vibe. The Zephyr follows parts of the original railroad tracks from the 1860s and has been rolling since 1949. It’s a slice of history and scenery at the same time.
12. Cape Cod Central Railroad, Massachusetts
On Cape Cod, the Cape Cod Central Railroad gives you 27 miles of classic New England scenery between Hyannis and Buzzards Bay. This ride takes you through cranberry bogs, salt marshes, and rolling dunes—places you just can’t reach by car.
The railroad offers a few different trips. Daytime rides have guides sharing local stories, while Sunday brunch trains let you eat as you roll past the views.
Sunset dinner trains serve gourmet meals as the sun drops over the landscape. All the trips use vintage railcars, which just feels right for Cape Cod. USA Today put this ride in their top 10 most scenic train trips in America. Once you see those coastal views and the New England countryside, you’ll get why.
11. Coast Starlight, Seattle to Los Angeles
The Coast Starlight links Seattle and Los Angeles in about 35 hours. You’ll roll across 1,377 miles, hugging the West Coast nearly the whole way. This train runs every day, stopping 28 times. It winds through cities like Portland, Sacramento, and Santa Barbara, each with its own vibe.
As you head south, the scenery keeps shifting. One minute it’s the Pacific Ocean, then suddenly you’re staring at the Cascade Mountains or the rugged California coast. Honestly, the route takes you through some stunning landscapes. Lush valleys, mountain ranges, rolling hills—sometimes you’ll just want to press your face to the glass.
If you ride the whole way, you’ll spend a night on the train. It’s easy to see why so many travelers call this one of America’s most beautiful rail journeys. Instead of driving for hours, you can just sit back, relax, and watch the world outside your window constantly change. Not a bad way to cross a few states, right?
10. Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Colorado
Colorado is home to close to 60 mountains that surpass the 14,000-foot elevation mark, and Pikes Peak is one of them.
While it’s not a way to get from one A to B, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway is one of the oldest and most exciting mountain trams in the world. It’s one of just two cog railways in the country, traversing up a rickety track all the way to the top of the 14115-foot summit. It’s one way to do a hike without having to lift a foot!
9. Pacific Surfliner, California
The Pacific Surfliner is for those who want West Coast vibes without the highway gridlock. The train, operated by Amtrak, runs between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, hugging the Southern Californian coastline for most of the way.
The mellow cruise up (or down) the coast is easily the best way to travel in California. The train stops past several beaches in Orange, Ventura, and San Luiz Obispo counties. Best of all, it’s affordable enough to consider as part of your daily commute, and there are plenty of trips each day.
Just make sure to grab a seat on the coastal side, if possible!
8. Mount Washington Cog Railway, New Hampshire
The Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire is the second of the two cog railways in the country. To add to its titles of accomplishment, it’s the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railways, built in 1869, and it’s the second-steepest.
It’s an East Coast marvel, and riding up its steep incline feels like a historic and vertigo-inducing experience. It’s basically like a vernacular train that transports skiers to the top of a mountain, but more historic. Along the route, the train passes thick forests and rocky gorges and eventually reaches a summit with panoramic views.
Summer is beautiful and green, but I recommend bundling up and riding the railway after a snowstorm!
7. Aurora Winter Train from Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska
If you dream of witnessing Alaska’s wild beauty inside a cozy, heated train, the Aurora Winter Train is a good option. It travels between Anchorage and Fairbanks, allowing passengers to gaze across the untouched icy landscapes from a comfortable vantage point.
As the name suggests, it only runs during winter, passing incredible landscapes, from dense evergreen forests to valleys blanketed with snow. If you weren’t one of the lucky few to witness the Northern Lights from your hometown recently, you might want to consider a January trip on this wintery wonderland express.
6. Grand Canyon Railway, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is no hidden gem, but did you know it had its very own heritage railway line? There is nothing worse than reaching this bucket list destination just to be stuck behind hundreds of cars trying to get to the same place.
Taking the Grand Canyon Railway is like traveling through time. It transports passengers between Williams, Arizona, through the Sonoran Desert straight to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon without the hassle of traffic or parking.
The cars are vintage, with staff donning their best formalwear, giving a real taste of the Wild West back in its hey day.
5. Skunk Train, California
California’s Skunk Train is as retro as rail travel gets. The Skunk has been chugging through the redwood forests since 1885. It passes through the massive groves, over scenic bridges, and through tunnels before arriving at the stunning Noyo River Canyon.
There are few different routes to choose from, including the Pudding Creek Express, Wolf Creek Turn, and even a few seasonal journeys during Christmas. Journeys last around two hours and are one of the best ways to explore the Mendocino County and redwood forests of California.
4. Cass Scenic Railroad, West Virginia
The Cass Scenic Railroad is both a state park and a heritage train. The train and its track were built in 1901 to carry wood through the West Virginian mountains. Today, it is one of the best-preserved examples of America’s 1900’s locomotive industry.
Its route is a four-and-a-half-hour round trip to the highest peak of Back Allegheny Mountain, West Virginia’s third-highest point. You’ll be glad to know that not much has changed over the century in this part of the Appalachian Mountains.
Its open-air cars with old wood benches make it one of the most unique train rides in the world!
3. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, North Carolina
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad rolls straight through North Carolinas famous mountains, passing the most beautiful lakes, rivers, caves, bridges… The list goes on.
It’s a good thing the railway has two route options because one trip isn’t enough to take in the beauty. The first is a 32-mile, four-hour excursion on the Tuckasegee River Excursion, which includes a lunch stop at the southern town of Dillsboro. Alternatively, the 44-mile Nantahala Gorge Excursion option follows the Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers across Fontana Lake.
There are several different locomotives to choose from, but all of them are restored vintage trains. I recommend booking this trip for fall when the mountains are blanketed in orange and yellow hues.
2. Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, New Mexico
The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad is like a ride straight into the Old West. It snakes along the New Mexico-Colorado border, passing through lush meadows, steep mountain passes, and tunnels carved into the cliffside. In fact, it crosses the border eleven times.
And it’s not all about the scenery. The trains are vintage, and some are even steam-operated, giving passengers a taste of U.S. locomotive history. For the best experience, snag a spot in the open gondola car and breathe in the fresh Rocky Mountain air.
1. Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad, Colorado
The Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates on a classic three-foot wide track – it’s in the name, after all. Its narrow track makes it possible for the train to hug the tight curves through the spectacular Rocky Mountains.
Originally used to haul silver and gold across the Rockies back in the late 1800s, there are now a few routes, including a Christmas special and an overnight package.
Special mention must be made for the San Juan Mountains and the Animas River Canyon, which are no doubt the scenic highlights of the journey.
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