7 Unforgettable Colorado Day Trips You Can Only Take By Train
Some views refuse to be rushed, and the best way to reach them is on rails that know every curve, cliff, and canyon by heart.
In Colorado, historic train routes turn an ordinary day into a moving postcard, gliding past forests, rocky walls, high bridges, and sky-wide valleys you would never fully appreciate from a highway.
These rides are made for window gazing, camera grabbing, and those quiet moments when everyone stops talking because the scenery is doing all the work. Families get an adventure without the stress of planning every mile, couples get a date that feels cinematic, and solo travelers get front-row access to the wild.
Bring snacks, charge your phone, and claim the best seat early. Colorado’s mountain rails do not just take you somewhere beautiful, they make the journey feel like the main event from the very first whistle, with memories arriving around every bend.
1. Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Sixty-four miles of track, two states, and one of the most remote rail corridors in the American West. That is what the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad delivers from its depot at 5234 B Highway 285 in Antonito, Colorado.
This route is a National Historic Landmark, and the designation is not honorary window dressing. It genuinely earned it.
The train threads through high desert, climbs toward mountain passes, rattles across trestles, and ducks through tunnels before crossing into New Mexico and back again. You are not skirting civilization on this one.
You are leaving it behind entirely. The landscape out the window shifts from scrubby flats to pine-covered ridges with a confidence that makes you feel like you stumbled onto a film set.
Plan for a full day because this is not a quick loop. Bring layers, because the elevation is no joke even in summer.
I found myself leaning out the window at Cumbres Pass like a kid at Christmas, completely forgetting I was supposed to be a composed adult. Book ahead, especially for summer weekends, and treat this one as the main event rather than a stop along the way.
2. Leadville Railroad
Leadville sits at over ten thousand feet, which means the Leadville Railroad starts its climb from a place most trains would already consider a destination. Departing from the depot at 326 East 7th Street in Leadville, Colorado, this ride earns its reputation quietly, without the fanfare of some of the more tourist-heavy Colorado routes.
What you get here is a genuinely mountain-town experience. Leadville itself has the kind of worn, honest character that reminds you Colorado was built on grit before it was built on ski resorts.
The train ride extends that feeling, pulling passengers up into big, open alpine views that reward anyone willing to make the trip to this underrated corner of the state.
Personally, this is the one I would recommend to someone who finds the more famous rides a little too polished. There is something refreshing about a railroad that does not oversell itself.
The scenery handles the marketing just fine. Arrive early enough to walk around Leadville before or after your ride, grab lunch at a local spot, and give yourself the full day.
The elevation will slow you down pleasantly.
3. Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad
Not every great train ride needs to cover sixty miles to leave a mark. The Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, departing from 520 East Carr Street in Cripple Creek, Colorado, runs a shorter route but packs in a surprisingly vivid slice of Colorado mining history along the way.
Cripple Creek was once one of the richest gold-producing districts in the world, and the landscape still wears that history openly. Old mine structures dot the hillsides, and the narrow-gauge cars have an authentic, slightly rickety charm that no theme park attraction could replicate.
This ride is seasonal, running from mid-to-late May through October, so timing matters.
I think of this one as the ideal companion to a full day in Cripple Creek itself. Ride the train, then spend the afternoon poking around the town’s historic district.
It is the kind of place that rewards curiosity and punishes rushing. Families tend to love it because the scale feels manageable and the setting is genuinely dramatic without being overwhelming.
If you have never been to Cripple Creek, this railroad is a fine reason to finally go.
4. Georgetown Loop Railroad
The Georgetown Loop Railroad has a trick up its sleeve that most scenic rides cannot match. To gain enough elevation between Georgetown and Silver Plume, the track loops over itself on a series of historic bridges, including the famous Devil’s Gate High Bridge.
The route runs from the depot at 646 Loop Drive in Georgetown, Colorado, and the engineering alone is worth the ticket price.
Yes, this one is more widely known than some Colorado rail options, but popularity does not diminish the experience. The views of the old mining corridor are legitimately striking, and the bridges give you that slightly vertiginous thrill that makes you grip the armrest with a smile.
The ride is the whole point here, not just the destination.
Georgetown itself is worth arriving early for. The Victorian-era downtown is well-preserved and easy to explore on foot before or after your train departure.
I have done this ride twice now, and the second time was better than the first because I knew to grab a seat on the outer edge of the car before the bridge crossing. Small moves, big payoff.
It is a reliable, well-run experience that consistently delivers.
5. Royal Gorge Route Railroad
There are places in Colorado where a car window simply cannot do the job. The Royal Gorge is one of them.
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad departs daily from the Santa Fe Depot at 401 Water Street in Canon City, Colorado, and rolls directly into one of the most dramatic canyons on the continent. The walls rise over a thousand feet on both sides, and the train runs right along the Arkansas River at the canyon floor.
You could drive to the rim and look down, but that is a completely different experience. Being inside the gorge, at river level, with granite towering overhead, is something that genuinely earns the word unforgettable.
The train offers multiple car classes, from open-air to dome, and the route is available daily, which makes scheduling flexible.
My honest take: do not skip the dome car if it fits your budget. The overhead views of the canyon walls are worth it.
Canon City is a pleasant, unpretentious town where you can grab a solid meal before or after the ride. This is one of those trips where you board feeling skeptical about the hype and step off completely converted.
The gorge wins every argument.
6. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Famous is not always a warning sign. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, departing from 479 Main Avenue in Durango, Colorado, is one of those rare cases where the reputation is fully backed by the reality.
This historic coal-fired steam train climbs into the San Juan Mountains through terrain that is accessible in no other practical way, making it a genuine train-only experience rather than a scenic bonus.
The route follows the Animas River canyon through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the American Southwest. Silverton, the destination, is a well-preserved mining town sitting above eleven thousand feet, and arriving by steam train rather than highway gives the whole trip a satisfying sense of occasion.
The round trip takes most of the day, so plan accordingly.
Durango is a terrific base for the night before or after. The town has excellent restaurants, a lively Main Avenue, and the kind of energy that makes you want to stay longer than planned.
Book your train seats well in advance, especially for summer months, because this one fills up fast and for good reason. Of all the Colorado rail options, this one carries the most emotional weight by a comfortable margin.
7. The Broadmoor Manitou And Pikes Peak Cog Railway
Every other train on this list takes you through the mountains. This one takes you to the top of one.
The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway departs from 515 Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and climbs to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak using a cog mechanism that grips the steep grade in a way a standard locomotive never could. It is a vertical day trip in the most literal sense.
The views from the summit are the kind that make grown adults go quietly speechless. On a clear day you can see Kansas.
The tundra landscape near the top looks like something from another planet, and the temperature drop from base to summit can be dramatic even in July. Dress in layers and do not skip the famous summit doughnuts.
Manitou Springs is one of Colorado’s most charming small towns, with quirky shops, hot springs, and a relaxed pace that pairs beautifully with the drama of the train ride above. I would suggest arriving early, spending an hour in town before departure, and building in time at the summit rather than rushing back down.
The mountain rewards patience generously, and this railway is simply the best way to meet it.