Explore five of the American West's National Parks aboard the Empire Builder train through Vacations by Rail. This tour travels through Glacier National Park, The Grand Teton, Arches, Canyonlands and Yellowstone. There is a two-night stay in Glacier National Park and an overnight stay at the Fairmont Hot Springs in Montana as well. There is also a two-night stay in Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Arches National Park, Utah. There is a hotel stay in Salt Lake City during the tour as well. Most meals and sightseeing tour admission fees are included in the package. Tours begin in Seattle, Chicago and Portland. Check for availability at vacationsbyrail.com.
Travel aboard the California Zephyr on this an 11-day tour that will take you through the beauty of Yellowstone National Park, the rugged Grand Tetons and the historic Mount Rushmore. Offered by Vacations by Rail, see the wondrous wildlife of the West as the tour includes the National Elk Refuge with a population of about 5,000 elk and the National Wildlife Refuge System's largest American bison herd. Learn of the historic figures Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull and Texas Jack at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, on the way to Deadwood, South Dakota, where Wild Bill Hickok roamed the streets and eventually was killed. The tour includes two nights in Yellowstone and travels through the Black Hills of South Dakota, ending at one of America's most impressive National Landmarks, Mount Rushmore. Check for availability and make reservations at vacationsbyrail.com.
Discover the Grand Canyon from another era. The Grand Canyon Train travels 130 miles from Williams, Arizona, to the South Rim. At the halfway point of the trip, passengers will have three hours, 45 minutes at the Grand Canyon Village, where there is an optional motor coach tour that will take tourists to the West Rim viewpoints. The Grand Canyon Railway offers four classes of service for passengers, including coach, first class, the observation dome and the luxury parlor car. The luxury parlor car includes a private bar and access to the open air rear platform of the train. During the trip, besides the magnificent beauty of the landscape and the Grand Canyon, it is common to see native wildlife such as elk, mule deer, squirrels and even mountain lions.
The Coast Starlight travels along the Pacific Coast between Los Angeles, California and Seattle. Passengers will enjoy the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California, Crater Lake National Park in Oregon and Mount Rainer National Park in Washington. The National Park Service also provides guide service from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park between Seattle and Portland or Eugene and Klamath Falls. There are plenty of amenities on the Coast Starlight including sleeping cars, a dining car and an arcade room. There are higher-end luxury cars available such as the Parlor Car that includes complimentary meals, daily tasting of local wines and artisan cheeses and a coffee bar. Check for availability and make reservations at amtrack.com.
