These are the 16 most scenic train rides in America

Look out for: Amtrak’s 1,377-mile Coast Starlight route hits the best of the West: Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Sacramento and, across the state line into Oregon, Portland. Bounce from your seat to the dining car and the “sightseer lounge car,” where all the seats face the panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows. Insider tip: If the timing is just right, space nerds can see SpaceX launches at Vandenberg Air Force Base on land you can’t access other than by train, and you can also see some gorgeous beaches not otherwise accessible.

Journey: Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington along the California coast

Travel time: 36 hours

Price: A coach ticket starts at $130 and can rise to $180 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations will be more.

Look out for: Sure, you may have been to the Grand Canyon already, but have you ever admired its environs by train? On the Grand Canyon Railway, you’ll depart from Williams, Arizona, and roll through pine forests and prairies, catching glimpses of pronghorn and bald eagles before arriving at the epic South Rim. All of the historic cars of the Grand Canyon Railway have fascinating former lives, and some have glass-dome ceilings that provide unstoppable panoramas. There’s a bit of entertainment before your train departs, with the Cataract Creek Gang scuffling with the marshal, all in good fun. Watch for special steam engine dates to have that authentic 1800s experience. 

Journey: Williams, Arizona to the Grand Canyon

Travel time: Just over two hours

Price: Starting at $35 one way for adults in Pullman class. Coach class is $45, first class is $86, the observation dome is $101 and the luxury dome car is $121.

Look out for: There is only one word to describe this journey: epic. Amtrak’s Empire Builder runs daily between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest, mirroring much of Lewis and Clark’s original expedition. It passes through a greatest-hits list of must-see sites, including urban St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Big Sky country and Glacier National Park. The trip totals 46 hours, which probably warrants booking at least a roomette with seats that convert to beds so you can fully stretch out once you’ve gotten your fill of landscapes under the moonlight (although people have been known to go cross-country via a reclining coach seat).

Journey: Chicago, Illinois to Portland, Oregon

Travel time: 45–46 hours

Price: Coach starts around $115, while a roomette can be as low as $639 (and there’s also a private room option as well).

Look out for: This 350-mile stretch through the heart of Alaska highlights the state’s beautiful, rugged wilderness. Between the birch forests, rushing rivers, caribou and bear spotting, and a stint through Denali National Park, there’s a reason this is the Alaska Railroad’s flagship sojourn. If you can swing it, splurge on a GoldStar upgrade and take in the spectacular scenery from an outdoor, upper-level viewing platform, with absolutely nothing between you and the wild. Best of all, of course, are the stunning vistas of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.

Journey: Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska

Travel time: 12 hours

Price: The lowest we could find on the website was $294 for Adventure Class and $553 for GoldStar.

Look out for: It may be pint-sized, but Bryson City, the departure point for this rail-riding adventure, is rich with local gems like barbecue joints, a soda fountain and breweries. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has various routes, but the 4.5-hour Nantahala Gorge excursion is a scenery-serving star, snaking along the forested Nantahala River and crossing the Fontana Lake by bridge. You get a one-hour layover at the gorge before returning. Foliage lovers, take note: The leaves here are breathtaking during the fall.

Journey: Out and back from Bryson City, North Carolina

Travel time: 3.5 hours

Price: There are six classes of fare, ranging from $63 for coach to $123 for first class on a diesel-driven train. You’ll pay approximately $10 more to ride a steam train (and there are seasonal upcharges for peak months).

Look out for: If you’re looking for a train ride with ocean views, you can’t beat Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, which travels along a 351-mile route. Much of the trip is directly along the California coast. The route starts out in San Diego before meandering up through Anaheim, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and ending in San Luis Obispo in the central part of the state. Recently, the Surfliner has added more trains, so you have less of a wait time between trips.

Journey: San Diego to San Luis Obispo, California

Travel time: 8–9 hours

Price: A coach ticket is approximately $61 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations will be more.

Look out for: Like the Little Engine That Could, this antique train run by a cog mechanism chugs daily up Mount Washington, depositing its passengers at the 6,288-foot peak, the highest in the Northeast, where you can linger at Mount Washington State Park. At the top, take in the sweeping views of Canada and the Atlantic on a clear day. However, the park closes for the winter from mid-October through late May, so during that time the Cog runs to mid-mountain Waumbek Station instead. A working museum of sorts (the track dates to 1852), the Cog has the elevated feel of a gondola, only you’re in a sturdy little train. 

Journey: Out and back from the base station in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, on the western side of Mt. Washington (some navigation systems send travelers to Pinkham Notch on the eastern side, causing them to miss their train).

Travel time: Three hours round-trip by steam engine (which must pause halfway to refill water), including one hour at the summit, or two and a half hours by biodiesel train. The winter ride to Waumbek is one hour, including a 25-minute layover at the station.

Price: Tickets start at $80 per adult round-trip (since summiting on foot is so challenging, one-way tickets are only sold in person, and hikers should never assume that they can rely on purchasing a descent ticket) for the biodiesel ride to the summit. Winter rides to Waumbek Station start at $54.

Look out for: At more than 2,400 miles long, the route of the California Zephyr—stretching from San Francisco to Chicago—is Amtrak’s longest. While we don’t recommend you stay on for the entire time (unless that floats your boat), we love the stretch from Emeryville, just across the bay from San Francisco, to the Lake Tahoe area where you can deboard in Truckee or Reno. This scenic journey is an ideal way to get to Tahoe, beat the traffic and take in fantastic views.  

Journey: Emeryville, California to Reno, Nevada

Travel time: Around seven hours

Price: A coach ticket is approximately $61 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations will be more.

Look out for: Train travel takes a turn for the tropical on this 90-minute jaunt across Oahu in an old sugar-cane hauler traveling at the lickety-split speed of 15 miles an hour. The ride with Ewa Beach’s Hawaiian Railway Society travels the leeward side of the island with views of the Waianae Mountains and the Kahe Point ocean, while passengers learn about old sisal plantations and ghost towns. Time your trip for the second Sunday of the month and you can book a seat in the elegant 1900 parlor car that was the personal ride of Oahu Railway & Land Co. founder Mr. Dillingham. 

Journey: Oahu, Hawai’i

Travel time: Two hours

Price: $20

Look out for: This is one of the most scenic ways to experience one of the most scenic states, Colorado. A ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway isn’t merely photo fodder, but a full immersion into the wild, wild west. The train has been rolling between Durango and Silverton since 1882, when it was tasked with transporting silver and gold out of the San Juan Mountains. The 45.4-mile route runs in both directions along the Animas River, crisscrossing it five times, and passing by old stagecoach trails and long-deserted mining camps as it winds between 14,000-foot-high peaks. This particular train, the Scenic Round Trip Silverton Train, operates from early May to early November, although there are seasonal rides year-round, like the Polar Express train in winter.

Journey: Roundtrip from Durango to Silverton, Colorado

Travel time: 3.5 hours each way, plus two hours in Silverton

Price: $108–$313 round-trip on the steam train and $100–$313 on the diesel train.

Look out for: While the destination is a major draw, getting there is half the fun from New York City to Vermont. On Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express, you’ll cruise through the postcard-perfect towns of New York’s Hudson Valley and hit Saratoga Springs, as famous for its horse races as its hot springs. You’ll snake around Vermont’s fittingly named Green Mountains before landing in the charming little-big city of Burlington with its historic downtown and one helluva farmers’ market.

Journey: New York City, New York to Burlington, Vermont

Travel time: 7.5 hours

Price: A coach ticket costs approximately $66 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations cost more.

Look out for: On this California Wine Country track, you can get intoxicated by the scenery alone: picture-perfect wineries and hills carpeted in lush rows of vines. The Napa Valley Wine Train comprises a collection of vintage Pullman railcars, complete with mahogany panels and brass hardware. There are 14 different experiences to choose from; we’ll focus on the Vista Dome Lunch Train, which includes a ride on the second story of 1952 Pullman glass-domed observation car, a digital keepsake photo of your boarding, four-course gourmet meal and a glass of sparkling wine (you can add a sommelier flight tasting starting at $41). So go ahead and soak it all up—you’re not behind the wheel, after all.

Journey: An out-and-back excursion in Napa, California

Travel time: Three hours

Price: Starts at $361 per person.

Look out for: Hopping aboard the Skunk Train is like traveling back in time—this historic Mendocino Railway train has been traversing Mendocino County in California since 1885. Today, you can choose from a variety of routes and experiences. The most popular journey is Wolf Tree Turn. This 16-mile route will take you through old-growth redwood groves within Noyo River Canyon, over trestle bridges and under tunnels, ending with a stop in Crowley, where you can take in the majesty of one of the oldest trees in the area, the Wolf Tree. Enjoy snacks and beverages (including alcoholic ones) before heading back toward Willits.

Journey: Wolf Tree Turn excursion ride through Willits, California 

Travel time: Two hours

Price: $81, with a chance to upgrade to a VIP ticket for $116, which includes picnic lunch and a commemorative gift… or go all out and ride with the engineer in the cab for $340. It’s nice to bring Fido along, and that’s $17 per dog ticket.

Look out for: Canyon Spirit, new in 2026, is showcasing scenic routes through the American Southwest that were previously available through the Rocky Mountaineer train, which is still operating in Canada but no longer in the U.S. The Rockies to the Red Rocks route goes from Denver, Colorado to Moab, Utah, and more recently two cities joined the route: Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. On board you’ll be treated to incredible views and regional cuisine served at your seat. Each ride includes storytelling about the landscapes and wildlife you see, and your overnight hotels are included (the train only runs during the day to showcase beautiful views, so mid-journey, you will stay at partner hotels along the route, or you can organize your own stay). You can choose to upgrade to the Premier class for lounge car access, signature cocktails, wine pairings, gourmet snacks and access to an extra outdoor viewing platform. The Canyon Spirit’s season is April through November.

Journey: We’ll look at the Salt Lake City to Denver route, stopping in Moab and Glenwood Springs.

Journey time: Five days, including three rail days

Price: Opting for the four partner hotel stays, this “Three Day Rail Classic” journey starts at $2,954.

Look out for: Departing from two towns in Virginia, Louisa and Staunton, the Virginia Scenic Railway provides several kinds of excursions, like the Ales & Rails craft beer-based ride. Starting in June 2026, the Summer of Steam rides will incorporate a steam Norfolk & Western 611 locomotive. For a scenic ride, the Alleghany Special starts in Staunton and wends its way through the farmland and meadows of the Shenandoah Valley and goes through the George Washington and Jefferson national forests. At the tiny hamlet of Goshen, population 334, you’ll turn around for the return trip.

Journey: Staunton to Goshen and back

Travel time: Three hours

Price: Tickets start at $69 for adults. You can choose a dining class ticket which includes a plated meal and dessert, or opt to purchase a boxed meal for your coach, dome lounge or upper dome seat.