“The train is the only way to go,” says Rosie Thibodeaux, traveling home after exploring Denver for three days with her sister and her niece. The trio flew into Denver International Airport and are now returning home to Modesto, California, on Amtrak’s California Zephyr.
The full train route runs from Chicago to San Francisco with major stops in Denver, Salt Lake City and Sacramento. Today we're checking out the spectacular segment between Denver and Glenwood Springs.
There’s plenty of legroom and comfortable seating, and a bit of amiable chatter in the background as we depart. This is travel where the journey is every bit as important as the destination. The unhurried trip cuts through some of the country’s best scenery as the Zephyr chugs west out of Denver Union Station. It’s not about getting there and a minute-by-minute itinerary. It’s about taking the time to look around and see the sublime landscape west of the city.
The train rises through leafy neighborhoods into the foothills northwest of Denver. A guy waves to the train from his suburban deck. I-70 is nowhere in sight. We hook west into the formidable Rocky Mountains, with an endless view of the plains below, into Coal Creek Canyon.
Train Facts
Offers daily service between Denver and Glenwood Springs, Colorado
The entire route goes from Chicago to San Francisco
At 2,438 miles, it’s Amtrak’s longest daily route, serving 300,000-400,000 passengers each year
The Tunnel District
A conductor soon announces that we’ve entered the “tunnel district” with 26 tunnels before the big one, Moffat Tunnel. In between the momentary blackouts, rocky sandstone outcroppings strain skyward from the forested mountainsides. By the third tunnel, the views of the plains get loftier and loftier, with views of Longs Peak to the north before the railroad leaves the civilization of the Front Range behind.
The tunnels punctuate increasingly dramatic panoramas on the way to the Moffat Tunnel. Before we enter, the conductor makes an announcement to refrain from moving from car to car for about 10 minutes.
“It’s 6.2 miles long,” he says. “We’re going to travel under the Continental Divide.”
Darkness again envelops the Zephyr as it chugs through the tunnel. When it emerges, Vasquez Ridge at Winter Park Resort makes an abrupt and stunning appearance with the backdrop of blue sky.
“Oh, wow!” a passenger says.
Multiple Stops in Colorado
About an hour and a half from Denver, the train makes its first of two stops before Glenwood Springs. The requisite cry of “all aboard!” sounds and the train continues north through the Fraser River Valley within view of U.S. 40, providing a fresh perspective of familiar sights.
The observation car beckons. The train is at capacity with 200 passengers aboard, but there are always a few seats to be had for the duration of the trip to Glenwood Springs. An hour evaporates in what seems like minutes. Time moves pretty quickly on the Zephyr compared to its pace on a cramped flight or a traffic jam. It’s sightseeing at its purest.
The train briefly stops in Granby before passing Hot Sulphur Springs and veering westward. Fog shrouds ranches, evoking a feeling of timelessness, and layers of visible railroad history imbue the state’s map with more meaning.
Canyon Country
One of the conductors, Christopher Dion, says his favorite part of the route is Gore Canyon.
“The only way you can go through it is by kayak—or train,” he says. “You lose cell service for two hours when you enter Upper Gore Canyon.”
Soon enough, we’re in the heart of it, an interplay of sunlight and shadows, water and stone. Red hues creep into the mountainsides as we continue down alongside the Gore River. We pass through a stretch known as Moon River, named for the rafters who moon the train when they get a chance (a.k.a. The “Zephyr Salute”).
About halfway into the journey, the canyon widens and sweeping views unspool in every direction. Here, train travel offers sightseeing at its purest: rivers, peaks, the endless nooks and crannies in the artful jumble of the Rockies.
The Gore soon flows into the Colorado River, and the train continues past State Bridge and Rancho Del Rio. At the tiny town of Bond, the route diverts from the old Moffat Line to the Rio Grande Line via the Dotsero Cutoff, where the red rock becomes even more prominent.
“This is known as beaver country,” the conductor announces. “Beavers have been occupying these lands for thousands of years.”
The beaver dams created islands as the river found ways around them, creating wetlands that support a wide range of wildlife.
Next up is “eagle country,” a stretch of the river known for its bald eagle population. The conductor points out an enormous nest atop a dead tree on the riverbank.
A log cabin sits on a bluff as we approach I-70 and the eastern end of Glenwood Canyon.
“Look at how beautiful that is!” says Rosie.
There’s a sense of community on the train, the polar opposite of road rage.
A Spectacular Finale
Glenwood Canyon offers a spectacular finale to the six-hour ride. The spectacular terrain looms large, as does the Colorado River. It’s mesmerizing to watch the mirror-like reflections of the canyon walls in its waters.
The train stops in Glenwood Springs, and the station is enviably placed across from the Hotel Maxwell Anderson (formerly Hotel Denver) at the edge of a row of restaurants on 7th Street. A block away, Bethel Plaza activates the space under the Grand Avenue Bridge, with Casey Brewing’s taproom and more restaurants.
No car required: A pedestrian bridge adjacent to the train depot leads directly to the world’s largest hot springs pool at the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort and the historic Hotel Colorado. You can rent a bike at Sunlight Ski & Bike to explore Glenwood Canyon from a different point of view or catch a bus to Carbondale or Aspen.
On the way back to Denver, you can get different views simply by sitting on the other side of the train. No matter how many times you ride the Zephyr, there will always be something new to see.
The eastbound train retraces its route through the canyons and tunnels and descends into the heart of Denver. Plenty of cities are on Amtrak routes, sure, but few have such an enviable location that you can hop on a train right downtown in the morning and spend five hours gawking at the Rocky Mountains. It’s just the ticket to get away from it all.
See our mountain transportation page for more ways to explore the high country and our railroads page to learn more about railway adventures.