Royal Gorge Route Railroad, USA
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a heritage rail route in Cañon City, Colorado. Transiting the scenic Royal Gorge on a two-hour adventure to Parkdale, the train rails through the most famed portion of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. It runs through the hair-raising steep-walled canyon and along the Arkansas river, a route President Teddy Roosevelt described in 1905 as ‘the trip that bankrupts the English language’. While the scenery is pretty magnificent, today the train is all about dining – offering first-class gourmet breakfasts, lunches, dinners and themed murder mystery events. Journeys take place on board a 1950s-era train with some viewing platforms and panoramic windows.
Prices from: US $49
Departing from: Canon City, Colorado
Journey length: 2 hours
Royal Gorge Route Railroad route
The journey begins in the Santa Fe Depot of Canon City, Colorado, embarking on a two-hour scenic adventure through the rugged Royal Gorge, Colorado’s grandest canyon. The train carries passengers under the Royal Gorge Suspension bride before terminating in Parkdale, Colorado. Special themed journeys are also available, mystery dinners and holiday trains during the festive season – where the canyon transforms into a wintery wonderland. The train runs daily with three departures daily during the summer season.
Royal Gorge Route Railroad train
Unlike many other rail trips, travelling on the Royal Gorge Railroad is as much as much about the on-board experience as it is the dramatic scenery. The train is pretty much a moving fine dining restaurant, with 17 cars, six classes of service, four bars and five kitchens. Each class of service is located in a different part of the train and has a different food and drink offering, from coach with its comfortable cushioned seats and menu of American classics to first-class with three-course lunches and dinners. Passengers can purchase a ticket with or without food included. The train comes with panoramic carriages so passengers can get up close and personal with the breathtaking Royal Gorge.
What we love
Two words: Scenery and food. With dry rugged canyons and snaking rivers, the scenery outside the window is like something from a Wild West movie, and you can sit back and enjoy it over a plate of delicious hot food and bottle of fine wine.