You don’t have to hike or drive to admire the fall colors. Several train rides offer an opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy some Colorado gold.
Leadville Railroad
Description: The Leadville Railroad shows off the scenery surrounding one of Colorado’s most rugged outdoor towns. Expect views of the state’s two tallest 14ers as well as the San Isabel National Forest and the headwaters of the Arkansas River. If you miss the fall colors, the railroad offers a Holiday Express ride in November and December.
Trip length: Up to two hours and 45 minutes roundtrip.
Food and drink: A grill onboard serves hamburgers, hot dogs, milkshakes and more, and the concessions car offers popcorn, chips, cookies and ice cream.
Cost: Coach tickets cost $59 for adults and $36 for kids, and lounge seats are $86 regardless of age.
More information: Visit leadvillerailroad.com or call 866.386.3936.
Peak leaf-peeping season can be hard to pinpoint every year, especially as the leaves hold on for dear life in the face of mountain winds strong enough to inspire folk songs. That’s why the Leadville Railroad has a leaf tracker.
The railroad’s website updates every day with information on the status of the aspen leaves, which align with peak tourist season for the train. There are two rides on the weekend as well as an afternoon ride during the week to accommodate eager crowds.
“It’s amazing how many aspen groves we go through,” says Claire Berger, assistant of marketing and sales for the Leadville Railroad. “There are even aspen tunnels that you go through. It’s like being surrounded in Colorado gold.”
The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway
Description: This railway offers trips to the summit of the 14er that inspired the song “America the Beautiful.” It operates year-round.
Trip length: Three-and-a-half hours roundtrip.
Food and drink: The Cog sells snacks in its gift shop that you can bring onboard.
Cost: Tickets cost $67 for adults and $57 for kids when reservations are made online. Tickets are $19 more for call-ins and walk-ups.
More information: Visit cograilway.com or call 719.685.5401.
The Cog may be the only train in the U.S. that requires you to sign an altitude waiver before you board. But that’s the price you’ll pay for riding the only train in the country that travels above
14,000 feet.
The Cog has climbed Pikes Peak since 1891, just five years after the invention of the automobile. You can also drive or, if you’re hardy, hike to the top, but the railway offers unique views of the peak that are especially beautiful in the fall. Hikers have been known to ride the train down after making it to
the summit.
The train stops for 45 minutes once it reaches the top, allowing just enough time for riders to enjoy the views without feeling the effects of the thin air, says Ted Johnston, general manager of the Cog. Those who need a little extra oxygen can use Boost cans on the train or medical-grade oxygen for more severe cases.
Johnston encourages riders to enjoy the views and take photos before heading into the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center, which expanded its gift store and cafeteria in 2021. Sometimes the summit resembles a shopping mall more than the top of
a mountain.
“Don’t waste all your time waiting in lines for food,” Johnston says.
Georgetown Loop Railroad
Description: Completed in 1884, this railroad was considered an engineering marvel and had seven trains running out of Denver during its peak. The line was dismantled in 1938, but it was later reconstructed, allowing it to reopen in 1984. Now there are two short rides from Georgetown and the Devil’s Gate in nearby Silver Plume that offer views of the mountains surrounding I-70 as well as the historic mining operations, which you can tour through September. A fall colors train runs several times a day from Sept. 19-21 and Sept. 26-28.
Trip length: An hour and 15 minutes roundtrip.
Food and drink: There isn’t food service, but you’re allowed to bring a sack lunch and a non-alcoholic drink in a plastic or metal container.
Cost: Tickets for the fall colors train cost $40 for adults and $34 for children ages 1-10.
More information: Visit georgetownlooprr.com or call 888.456.6777.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad offers a shorter tour of the fall colors than other railroads, but it still captures stunning views of aspens that hint at the ski towns just down the road. The train is open air, save for some enclosed parlor cars that are only offered on its winter holidays tour, so make sure to bring a jacket and rain gear.
Georgetown’s railroad was dubbed the “Silver Queen of Colorado” in 1879 when news of large strikes of silver swept across the state. Although mining inspired its expansion, the railroad began focusing more on tourism in the 1880s as the line into the mining town of Leadville became too arduous to maintain. The train reached its peak of seven rides per day from Denver during those tourism trips. The invention of the automobile diminished the train’s popularity, but it has since become a favorite experience of many in the fall.
Rocky Mountaineer
Description: This train ride offers a comparatively higher-end experience over two days from Moab to Denver (there are options to start in Denver as well as Las Vegas and Salt Lake City). This route is called “Rockies to the Red Rocks.”
Trip length: Two days point to point, generally, though there are many packages and options available.
Food and drink: Gourmet meals made with locally sourced ingredients are served in your seat and are a reflection of the areas you’re traveling through.
“Our culinary team works magic in the small gallery kitchens aboard our trains,” says Dallas Carlson, communications manager for Armstrong Collective, which runs the Rocky Mountaineer.
Cost: Ranging from $2,000 to more than $7,000, depending on the package.
More information: Visit rockymountaineer.com or call 877.460.3200.
This railroad focuses on the rider’s experience as much as the sights you’ll see, much like cruises do. The trains are comfortable and enclosed in glass-domed coaches, with many packages including stays in luxury hotels in addition to the ride.
You’ll see some of the prettiest areas of Utah and Colorado while onboard. Highlights include the roadless Gore Canyon, an expert whitewater destination surrounded by 1,000-foot cliffs, and Ruby Canyon, which features red sandstone cliffs that run along the Colorado River. Both are only accessible by water or rail.
The Rocky Mountaineer’s hosts tell stories about those sights, share the history of the areas and point out wildlife along the way.
“Our team of onboard hosts offer rich, historic storytelling of the rail line, geological marvels and communities along the routes,” Carlson says.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Description: See the San Juans via a train ride that’s rated number one in USA Today’s Best Scenic Train Rides category.
Trip length: Three-and-a-half hours each way, with a two-hour layover in Silverton. The Skyway Tour allows you to take the train one way and ride a bus the other direction.
Food and drink: Snacks, light meals and drinks—including beer and wine—are available from a concession car.
Cost: Tickets for a typical steam ride in coach range from $117-160, and first-class seats cost $225-315. Diesel engine trips are a few dollars less. Some discounts are available for kids ages 4-11. Many other packages and excursions are available.
More information: Visit durangotrain.com or call 877.872.4607.
The Durango & Silverton railroad’s website doesn’t offer a special leaf peeping tour because it doesn’t need one. As the train winds through the San Juan National Forest, the San Juan Mountains and by the Animas River, you’ll get your fill of fall color. Not much of the scenery has changed since 1882, the railroad’s first year in operation.
“It’s one of my favorite times of the year,” says Martha Gowin, marketing manager for the railroad, of fall in the San Juans. “It has cooled down, and the colors are just gorgeous.”
Other seasonal highlights include a Cowboy Poetry train ride and a two-day fall photography train ride in October. The busy season wraps up near the end of October, but the railroad continues on with a Polar Express trip.
The train can get busy on the weekends, especially during the peak of the fall colors, which generally happens from mid- to late September.
“We do have walk-ups,” Gowin says, “but if you really want to ride the train, I’d book in advance.”
