USA Today: Colorado train ride voted most scenic in US
DENVER (KDVR) — Trains have been transporting people and goods for centuries. While they aren’t as popular as they used to be, some train rides offer a unique way to experience the outdoors.
USA Today did a study with an expert panel and their readers to find the best scenic train rides in the country.
This Colorado water park is one of the best in the US
It is well known that Colorado is home to some of the most scenic views, but train rides offer visitors and locals alike a different experience. Four Colorado scenic rides were among the 10 best in the U.S., and one was considered the best.
No. 10: Georgetown Loop Railroad – Georgetown
The Georgetown Loop was completed in 1884. Today, three of the “iron horses” have been preserved and maintained so that they can transport riders from Georgetown to Silver Plume.
USA Today said the 75-minute round-trip ride offers passengers a chance to ride in box cars and take in the high country. The train will pass by remains of gold and silver mines as well as offer views of the Rocky Mountains.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad is now open for the summer season.
No. 8: The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway – Manitou Springs
The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway is the highest and longest cog railway in the world, taking riders to the top of Pikes Peak at 14,115 feet.
During the nine-mile journey, riders not only reach and summit a 14er, but the train passes through Deer Park and along Ruxton Creek.
The railway recently went under some renovations to update the tracks, trains, depot and Pikes Peak Visitor Center.
Tickets for the ride are on sale now.
No. 2: Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
The 64-mile Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a National Historic Landmark owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, according to the website.
The train zigzags between Colorado and New Mexico 11 times, taking passengers through a variety of environments including canyon walls, deep forests, high plains and rocky gorge formations.
The train operates from May 25 to Oct. 19 Tuesday through Sunday. Passengers can board the train from Antonito, Colorado; Cumbres, Colorado; or Chama, New Mexico.
No. 1: Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad – Durango
Taking the No. 1 spot of the most scenic train rides in the U.S. is the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
The train was voted the best in the country because it offers a nine-hour round trip through some of Colorado’s most beautiful natural scenes, from wildlife, waterfalls and peaks all from a train from the 1880s.
If a nine-hour trip seems daunting, the railroad offers shorter excursions like the five-hour Cascade Canyon Express Trip.
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The train operates during every season, so riders can experience the San Juan National Forest all year long.
Here is the full list of the most scenic train rides in the U.S., according to USA Today:
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad – Durango, Colorado
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad – Antonito, Colorado
East Broad Top Railroad – Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad – Bryson City, North Carolina
Skunk Train – Fort Bragg, California
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway – Blue Ridge, Georgia
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad – Cumberland, Maryland
The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway – Manitou Springs, Colorado
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad – Fish Camp, California
Georgetown Loop Railroad – Georgetown, Colorado
If you want to explore Colorado’s outdoors like never before and take a trip back to yesteryear, consider one of these scenic train rides.
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