Scenic Train To Launch New Route In The American West
In 2021, a Candian luxury scenic train called the Rocky Mountaineer launched its first American route between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah.
This week, the rail line announced that it would be extending the route farther west to Salt Lake City and also changing its name for U.S.-based operations.
Up until 2021, since its inception in 1990, the Rocky Mountaineer exclusively ran trips in Canada between destinations like Vancouver, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.
Unique for its lack of sleeper cars and itineraries that allow guests to disembark each night for local hotel stays, the Rocky Mountaineer has been honored by the World Travel Awards as the 'World's Leading Travel Experience by Train' eight times, and in 2020, it won a Globe Travel Award for 'Best Rail Company,' according to CNN.
Expanding in the American West
Starting in 2026, the route known as 'Rockies to the Red Rocks' will expand from what was a 2-day, 1-night journey between Denver and Moab with an overnight in Glenwood Springs to a 3-day journey between Denver, Moab, and Salt Lake City with overnights in Glenwood Springs and Moab.
It will also go by a new name. While the train company will still operate as the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada, it will now go by 'Canyon Spirit' in the United States.
Guests will have the option of booking different types of train packages, depending on where they want to end up. For example, those looking to spend time in Moab to explore Arches or Canyonlands national parks will still be able to book the original two-day, one-night passage.
Or, one can customize the trip and use buses—all organized by Canyon Spirit—to explore other national parks in Southern Utah, like Bryce Canyon.
Guests can take the train one-way from Denver to Salt Lake, or vice versa. They can also book a roundtrip to start and end in the same city.
Unique Sleeping Arrangements
When booking the journey between Denver and Salt Lake City, the fare includes overnight hotel accommodations in Glenwood Springs and Moab.
This is one of the Canyon Spirit's (and Rocky Mountaineer's) main differentiator from other train companies. By forgoing sleeper cabins in favor of hotels, passengers get to check out a small town or two along the way.
The other big benefit is that the train does not move at night, which means that all travel takes place during the day and no scenery is missed.
While onboard, guides will narrate as the train passes through small towns and scenic areas, and meals will include dishes paired with beer, wines, and spirits from the regions the train is passing through.
Bookings are now open for the new route to Salt Lake City, but the extended route won't begin until 2026. You can still experience the two-day route between Denver and Moab, which will run throughout 2025.
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