Road trips get all the glory when it comes to visiting national parks, but trains bring romance back to the journey. Instead of white lines on the highway, you have the Rockies unfurling outside your window, red-rock canyons sliding past your seat, and the charm of stepping directly from the platform into a historic lodge. Amtrak routes cut to the edge of some of the country’s most iconic landscapes—from Glacier National Park’s snowcapped peaks to the cactus forests of Saguaro National Park—making rail one of the most overlooked ways to reach the parks.
Amtrak counts 20 national parks and monuments within an hour of its train and bus stations. You can make the most of these lines with a USA Rail Pass ($499), which gives you 10 segments of coach travel across 500 destinations to use within 30 days (the pass is valid for 120 days after purchase).
So whether you’re dreaming of rafting through West Virginia’s gorge or stargazing in Texas’s darkest skies, pack your bags and hop aboard.
Glacier National Park’s Whitefish station has rental cars and shuttles.
Photo by Cole Allen/Unsplash
1. Glacier National Park on the Empire Builder
Amtrak’s Empire Builder brings you straight to Glacier. The line stops at unstaffed West Glacier, mere steps from a park entrance, as well as at East Glacier (from mid-spring to mid-fall), where the historic Glacier Park Lodge greets travelers straight off the platform. Whitefish station, open year-round, is a full-service stop, with car rentals and shuttles.
Come in summer when the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road opens in full (typically early July until the third Monday in October), winding past glacial valleys and alpine meadows. A timed-entry reservation is required for vehicles during peak times (late May to early September; $2 on recreation.gov, in addition to the entry fee). Alternatively, cruise the road on a red “jammer” bus tour, or step onto Hidden Lake Overlook Trail, Trail of the Cedars, or Highline Trail for your chance to spy mountain goats patrolling ridgelines above sparkling turquoise lakes.
Stay here: Glacier Park Lodge (steps from the tracks) or the Belton Chalet at West Glacier. For more upscale comfort, the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, a short shuttle ride away, offers spa luxury.
Rocky Mountain National Park is right on the California Zephyr line.
Yankee Leisure Group
2. Rocky Mountain National Park on the California Zephyr
The California Zephyr—legendary for its Rocky Mountain Views—opens its doors a mere 20 minutes from Rocky Mountain’s west entrance at the Granby stop. While most visitors funnel into the busier east side, Granby drops you on the quieter west, where moose graze and the nights are still. From there, it’s a straight shot to the Kawuneeche Valley and Trail Ridge Road, the park’s alpine highway that climbs above 12,000 feet.
In fall, aspens turn gold, and elk bugles echo through the valleys. This time of year is the shoulder season, so crowds tend to be light. Spring is a great time to see baby animals, while summer brings hiking weather, wildflowers, and marmots sunning on lichen-stained rocks.
Stay here: Devil’s Thumb Ranch for rustic-chic cabins and a full-service spa, or Grand Lake Lodge, a historic perch overlooking the lake
Book a shuttle to reach Moab and Arches National Park from the California Zephyr.
Photo by Lucas Alexander/Unsplash
3. Arches National Park on the California Zephyr
When the Zephyr pauses in Green River, Utah, you’re 52 miles from Moab, the adventure hub for Arches National Park. Prebook a shuttle with Moab Express ($180 for up to three riders) to reach town, where red-rock mesas rise behind breweries and gear shops, and trailheads are only minutes away.
Spring and fall are the sweet spots: mild days, cool nights, and perfect light on the stone arches. Hike to Delicate Arch at sunrise, wander through the Windows Section, or tackle Devils Garden to see Landscape Arch stretch impossibly thin against the sky. Summer scorches the desert at triple digits, but dawn hikes and sunset stargazing let you experience all the magic of the desert without its daytime scorching temps.
Stay here: Hoodoo Moab for modern comfort, or go full desert dream at Ulum Moab, where luxury tents come with stargazing decks
A vintage train is central to the allure of the Grand Canyon Railway.
Photo by Cavan-Images/Shutterstock
4. Grand Canyon National Park on the Southwest Chief + Grand Canyon Railway
The Southwest Chief delivers you to Flagstaff, where a bus or taxi can take you to Williams, Arizona. From there, the Grand Canyon Railway completes the journey in style: A vintage train rolls through pine forest and high desert before pulling up at the South Rim. Arriving by train, with Wild West musicians and costumed “bandits” on board, will make you feel as if you’re stepping into the canyon’s golden age of travel.
Taking the first train of the day gets you to the park by late morning, leaving you hours to walk rim trails or ride free park shuttles while gaping at one of the world’s most staggering views. Spring and fall bring crisp air and see fewer crowds, while winter dusts the cliffs with snow.
Stay here: El Tovar Hotel, the storied rim-side lodge, or the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams for an easy overnight before or after the ride
The New River Gorge Bridge is a standout sight at West Virginia’s New River Gorge National Park.
Photo by ESB Professional/Shutterstock
5. New River Gorge National Park on the Cardinal
Amtrak’s Cardinal is one of the country’s most scenic trains, winding right through West Virginia’s New River Gorge. It stops at Prince, an unstaffed historic brick station 30 minutes from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. Service runs three days a week (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday), but time it right and you step off into wild Appalachia.
In autumn, the gorge blazes with fiery foliage, and Bridge Day draws daredevils who BASE-jump from the bridge, 876 feet above the river. Summer brings rafting season—guided trips churn through the Lower New’s Class IV rapids—while trails like Endless Wall and Long Point deliver big views for moderate effort.
Stay here: Adventures on the Gorge, with deluxe cabins and sunset decks, or The Resort at Glade Springs, which has a golf course and a spa and is minutes from the park
Mist over the Rincon Mountains in Saguaro National Park
Photo by Kelly vanDellen/Shutterstock
6. Saguaro National Park on the Sunset Limited
Tucson is the gateway to Saguaro, and Amtrak’s Sunset Limited drops you downtown. From there, it’s a quick drive to either side of the park: Rincon Mountain District to the east, where the Cactus Forest Scenic Loop Drive (biking permitted) winds through towering giants, or Tucson Mountain District to the west, delivering trails routed past petroglyphs and desert ridges.
Come in fall and winter for sunny days in the 60s and 70s or in spring when saguaros crown themselves in creamy white blooms. Short trails like Valley View Overlook deliver big sunsets, and longer hikes in the Rincons sweep you past desert springs and mountain peaks. The silhouettes of saguaros against a fiery sky at dusk are unforgettable.
Stay here: Tanque Verde Ranch, a luxe dude ranch abutting Saguaro East, or JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, a five-star stay near Saguaro West
Gawk at the ocean from the Coast Starlight line.
Photo by Alex Cimbal/Shutterstock
7. Crater Lake National Park on the Coast Starlight
The Coast Starlight stops in Klamath Falls, Oregon, about 45 minutes from Crater Lake—the country’s deepest pool of water. From there, you can take a trolley tour of Rim Drive that loops past overlooks of the rock formations Wizard Island, Pumice Castle, and Phantom Ship.
July through September is peak season, when boat tours circle the caldera (suspended in 2026 and 2027 for infrastructure improvements). Visit in early fall for cooler temperatures and fewer crowds or in winter when ranger-led snowshoe walks trace the rim above the ice-blue lake. The view never looks quite real, no matter the season.
Stay here: Crater Lake Lodge, perched on the rim itself, or Running Y Resort in Klamath Falls for resort-style comfort
Gentle ripples set the tone at Indiana Dunes National Park.
Photo by Zack Frank/Shutterstock
8. Indiana Dunes National Park on the Wolverine
Amtrak’s Wolverine line zips you from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan, in just over an hour. From there, it’s a 12-mile ride share back into Indiana, where the 15 miles of Indiana Dunes National Park unfurl: shifting dunes, hardwood forest, and soft beaches curling gently along Lake Michigan’s southern shore.
Come in spring when migratory warblers fill the trees and trilliums bloom along the Heron Rookery Trail. By summer, the air smells of sunscreen and dunegrass as swimmers scatter across West Beach and Lake View. Fall brings a quieter kind of beauty: gold-leaf trails, cool lake breezes, and the crunch of leaves on the Cowles Bog Trail, a 4.7-mile wander through wetlands and savanna ending at a windswept shoreline.
Stay here: For spa tubs and steakhouse splendor five minutes from the park, book Blue Chip Casino Hotel & Spa in Indiana’s Michigan City. Prefer craft beer and bonfire vibes? The Brewery Lodge & Supper Club delivers both, and it’s tucked into 42 wooded acres just outside town.
Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas is anchored by restful bathhouses.
Photo by Sean Pavone (L); Photo by Zack Frank (R)
9. Hot Springs National Park on the Texas Eagle
Ride the Texas Eagle to Malvern, Arkansas, the gateway to the park most likely to pamper you. From there, it’s a half-hour drive to Hot Springs National Park, where art deco bathhouses steam beside forested ridgelines, and Prohibition-era legends still echo through the lobby bars.
Start at Buckstaff for the full vintage spa ritual: mineral soak, steam cabinet, and massage. Or head to Quapaw Baths for thermal pools and facials. Between soaks, wander to the Arlington Lawn, where the park’s largest natural hot spring emerges from a hillside near the Grand Promenade, a brick pathway. After, strap on your hiking boots to enjoy Sunset Trail, a path that rises 10 miles, one way, to Music Mountain, the park’s highest point.
Stay here: Hotel Hale, an 1892 bathhouse turned boutique stay with soaking tubs in every room, or Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, a grande dame of Southern hospitality, with its own thermal spa and pet-friendly rooms
10. Channel Islands National Park on the Pacific Surfliner
Roll down the Pacific Surfliner to Ventura, California, where the salt air hits you the moment you disembark. From there, it’s a quick taxi to the Channel Islands Harbor, where you finish this sojourn with an hour-long ferry ride to one of the country’s least visited national parks. On these islands, there are no roads, no shops—some islands don’t even have drinkable water, so BYO. Immerse yourself in the sea cliffs and silent coves, kept company by endemic foxes the size of house cats.
The calm seas are typical of summer and early fall, which means those seasons are prime time for sea kayaking through volcanic caves and snorkeling with garibaldi (a protected local fish) in the kelp forests off Santa Cruz Island. Prefer dry land? Hike up to Potato Harbor for a clifftop view of turquoise water and sea lions basking on the rocks below. Ferries return late afternoon, but if you stay overnight, you’ll trade the mainland’s glow for a blanket of stars.
Stay here: Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach for front-row sunset views on the mainland, a few strides from the train platform, or sink your teeth into adventure with backcountry camping on Santa Rosa Island.
