There's something truly magical and somewhat nostalgic about boarding the Amtrak and settling in for a scenic ride. The fact that all passengers are required to do is sit down and appreciate the views is one part of it, but there's something else that keeps people returning to station platforms across the country.
It's somewhat of a callback to a time when things were simpler and the most common mode of transportation was a train. The nostalgia passengers feel is somewhat evocative of luxury and high-end travel despite the fact that many people view planes or personal vehicles as the most luxurious way to travel nowadays. The most scenic Amtrak routes are no longer the only means of travel from one place to another, but they do make for the perfect train trip.
California Zephyr
Without a doubt the most beautiful Amtrak route in the country, the California Zephyr route takes passengers from Chicago all the way to the San Francisco Bay Area. The views along the way are classic of the midwest, and the route showcases views that are typically only seen when one road trips from the middle of the country to the west coast. The somewhat remote countryside gives way to towering cornfields that stretch for miles, the mountain passes of the Rockies, and desert valley landscape that appears just before the Pacific Ocean. The journey itself is a throwback to the one that many people made when looking for a better life on the Pacific Coast, and this same scenery is what captived early pioneers.
Details Of The Journey
- Length of Journey: 2,440 miles
- Crosses Through: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, California
- Scenic Notes: Colorado Rockies, farms of the midwest, deserts of Utah, Sierra Nevada Mountains
- Best Views: From the sightseer lounge
Empire Builder
Speaking of the west, Empire Builder is quite possibly the most scenic when it comes to the route (okay, a similar route) taken by explorers Lewis and Clark. As opposed to stopping just outside of San Francisco like the California Zephyr, the Empire Builder stops further north in either Portland or Seattle. The route follows the Continental Divide from Chicago, displaying breathtaking sights of the mountain ranges and Mississippi River along the way. While not every part of this train route follows the original route of the explorers, it does overlap some of the treks they were known to have made, giving passengers a bit of insight into what it was like to discover for the very first time. It's still very much untouched, this wilderness is best seen from the Amtrak that runs through it, and passengers should have their cameras at the ready.
Details Of The Journey
- Length of Journey: 2,2oo miles
- Crosses Through: Chicago, North Dakota, Montana, and Oregon or Seattle
- Scenic Notes: A majority of the 'Wild West,' including the iconic Mississippi River, North Dakota plains, Montana's Big Sky Country, the mountains of Glacier National Park, the Cascade Mountains, and the Columbia River Gorge
- Best Views: Any window seat on the train
Coast Starlight
For a different change of scenery (literally), the Coast Starlight runs along the Pacific Coast of the U.S., offering a different aspect of the western half of the country. While this trip is shorter than the other scenic routes, it's no less spectacular, especially when the Pacific Ocean flanks one side of the tracks. Those seeking the best of both the forested mountains and the ocean will be thrilled to know that during this journey, they'll bear witness to both. The route covers roughly 350 miles of the Pacific coastline, affording passengers plenty of chances to take in the scenery that awaits them just on the other side of the window. Those who don't have a Pacific Ocean-side seat will be greeted with first-hand mountain views further north toward Seattle. Three mountains can be seen from this Amtrak route, and much of California's seaside coast can be witnessed during the first half of the journey.
Details Of The Journey
- Length of Journey: 1,440 miles
- Crosses Through: California, Oregon, and Washington
- Scenic Notes: Vistas of California's Pacific Coast take up the first half of the trip, forests and valleys take over as the train starts inland, and the trip ends with majestic views of Mount Hood, Mount Rainier, and Mount Shasta, before pulling into Seattle, Washington
- Best Views: The best views can be taken in by any seat on the train (not everyone will have a first-hand view of the coastline, depending on which side their seat is on)