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Experience “Highline” cliffs and the Animas River as you descend into Durango aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge.
Anthony D’Amato
Tracks Towards
the Sky
Built for gold, glory and connection, these scenic mountain railways now carry travelers into some of the country’s most breathtaking landscapes.
by Amity Moore Joyce
Visible through the Alaska Railroad’s glass-domed railcars, the 49th state’s snowcapped peaks rise in the distance as the train passes glittering rivers and forested foothills. It’s a journey that inspires awe and amazement at the ambition and labor that laid the tracks. In Alaska and Colorado, rail lines answered the economic demands of 19th-century mining. Elsewhere, as in New Hampshire and Montana, the sky-kissing summits were the draw, curiosity and zeal the locomotives. In California and Georgia, trains connected communities. Railroads made the extraordinary accessible, and today’s scenic mountain rail trips tap into that same spirit.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway carries passengers on a roundtrip climb to the 6,288-foot summit, offering sweeping views and a ride unlike any other in New England.
MOUNT WASHINGTON COG RAILWAY
To Satisfy Wonder
The Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire was one of the first railroads built so people could experience a mountain’s natural beauty itself. Businessman Sylvester Marsh wanted ordinary people to stand atop Mount Washington. He had nearly died hiking to the summit and thought there had to be a safer way. He opened the cog railroad on July 3, 1869. A cog rail system is a specialized railway that uses a toothed gear on the train that meshes with a rack rail between the tracks, allowing it to safely climb and descend steep mountain slopes. Today’s passengers follow the original route on a three-hour roundtrip that includes a one-hour layover at the 6,288-foot-tall summit, where an observation deck, museum, cafeteria, gift shops and post office await.
Enjoy sweeping, 360-degree views of the Pikes Peak region after reaching the summit aboard The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway.
The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway
Similarly, mattress mogul Zalmon Simmons financed a cog railway to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. Although the fuel, cars and tracks have changed, the cog system—albeit upgraded—remains. The train moves from Manitou Springs through tree-dotted hills and eventually into alpine tundra, where marmots and bighorn sheep roam. The journey climbs from about 6,500 feet to more than 14,100 feet, with views that moved Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful.”
Amtrak Vacation's California Zephyr taking passengers on a scenic long-distance route.
Amtrak
Travelers can experience a variety of historic and scenic trains, including narrow-gauge steam railroads, heritage railways, vintage excursion trains and long-distance passenger rail journeys that showcase some of North America's most remarkable landscapes.
When railroad visionary James J. Hill saw northwestern Montana, he envisioned a “Little Switzerland.” His Great Northern Railway introduced visitors to pristine mountain areas that became Glacier National Park. Today, Amtrak Vacation’s Empire Builder traces much of the original route, with Railbookers’ itineraries showing off the sublime landscape between East Glacier, Essex and West Glacier. Hill understood that scenery itself could be a destination.
Climb aboard the Georgetown Loop Railroad and journey through Clear Creek Canyon.
ADOBE STOCK
To Support Industry
As gold and silver rushes surged in Colorado and gold mining boomed in Alaska, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Georgetown Loop Railroad and the White Pass & Yukon Route were developed. All three railroads still operate today, but instead of hauling glittering metals, they haul passengers chasing nature’s riches.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad travels alongside the Animas River.
In Southwest Colorado, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad travels three-and-a-half hours one-way from Durango to Silverton, rests for two hours, and then returns via the same route. It follows the Animas River through the San Juan Mountains, offering tremendous views of both. Near Denver, the Georgetown Loop Railroad was instrumental in transporting silver ore from Silver Plume. Now exclusively a tourist line, it traverses a memorable trestle and passes remnants of old mines on an hour-and-a-half trip.
White Pass & Yukon Route video
Alaska’s rugged interior made it hard to reach, but crews blasted through rock and built trestles over deep gorges to move miners and supplies in and out of Skagway. The White Pass & Yukon route, which turns 125 this year, follows the same narrow-gauge railway, whisking passengers past dramatic waterfalls, glaciers and pristine wilderness. It’s a steep climb, topping nearly 3,000 feet in 20 miles, on the nearly three-hour ride. Later, construction began on the Alaska Railroad to connect Seward with Fairbanks. It was completed in 1923 and commerce between the coast and interior began. Passenger service eventually took over, and now travelers can explore Alaska's iconic landscapes through vacation packages offered by Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations, with many itineraries featuring to explore Anchorage, Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway takes passengers on a roundtrip journey along the Toccoa River through the countryside of North Georgia.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway video
To Connect Communities
When mountains stood in the way of connection, railroads were the answer. Tracks were laid to link Chicago to California, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains became a beloved part of the multiday journey—just as they still are. Travelers looking to experience the legendary California Zephyr can choose from vacation packages offered by Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations, which combine one of America's most scenic rail journeys with hotels, sightseeing and curated itineraries through destinations such as Chicago, Denver, the Rocky Mountains and Northern California. In the Southeast, the tracks now used by Georgia's Blue Ridge Scenic Railway once stitched together the Appalachian communities along the Toccoa River. They were a lifeline for local communication, mining and logging. The Georgia Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is a heritage excursion train and today's riders enjoy the 26-mile, four-hour trip that connects Blue Ridge, Georgia, with sister towns McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. Between them are thick forests and rushing rivers that would otherwise be challenging to reach.
Once built out of necessity, these mountain rail routes now invite travelers to slow down and take it all in—one summit view at a time.
Ready for your scenic rail vacation? Knowledgeable AAA Travel Agents can seamlessly plan rail journeys with exclusive AAA Member benefits, recommended itineraries and trusted guidance.
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