A Southwest National Park Adventure by Train on the Canyon Spirit

A SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURE BY TRAIN ON THE CANYON SPIRIT
By Rose Palmer

The American Southwest is rich with an incredibly diverse display of scenery and history. I’ve driven around much of Arizona, Utah, and Colorado and have experienced many of its geologic wonders. However, sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do the “driving” and just sit back, relax, and look out the window while sipping a glass of wine.

In 2021, the Armstrong Collective, owners of the famed Canadian Rocky Mountaineer rail journeys, brought their travel expertise to the US. Their first “Rockies to the Red Rocks” itinerary was a two-day trip from the mile-high city of Denver to the red cliffs around Moab, Utah. This two-day itinerary is ideal for those looking to spend several days discovering the two National Parks around Moab: Arches and Canyonlands. Combining a unique, luxury rail journey with independent explorations of these two beautiful national parks yields a truly memorable holiday experience.

The new 3-day Rockies to the Red Rocks Itinerary
Building on the popularity of the 2-day itinerary, the Armstrong Collective is introducing a 3-day journey between Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah. At the same time, the US routes will be rebranded as the Canyon Spirit, with the Rocky Mountaineer designating only the Canadian route. This new Canyon Spirit itinerary begins in April 2026 and is now available for booking.

I recently had the chance to preview the 3-day Rockies to the Red Rock train journey, starting in Salt Lake and ending in Denver. On the first day, we travelled from Salt Lake City to Moab, Utah. The second day started with a taster tour of Arches National Park, followed by our continuing train trek to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. On the final day, we travelled through the spectacular mountain scenery between Glenwood Springs and Denver, Colorado.

To maximize the time spent taking in the scenery, the train only travels during the daytime. Large, glass panoramic windows and comfy reclining leather seats made it easy to sit back and focus on the views.

A scenic train journey in luxury and style
It was the attention to detail that made this train trip truly memorable for me. After 30 years of excelling at their Rocky Mountaineer train journeys, the company has perfected the luxury rail travel experience.

Guests were welcomed with a literal red carpet. Each coach had dedicated hosts who provided detailed commentary about the history and geology outside the windows. They were also extremely attentive, making sure no one ever went hungry or thirsty.

The food on board was also excellent. The dishes tap into regional southwest flavors by sourcing local ingredients and local products. The company philosophy is “to express the local communities, culture, and scenery that we see outside the windows on the plates.”

For me, some of the standout meals were the Wild Mountain Berry Baked French Toast for breakfast and the Colorado Smoked Salmon Superfood Salad with quinoa, apricot, and a lemon poppyseed dressing at lunch. The Bison and Mushroom Lasagna on the last day was also a favorite.

Sourced from Denver’s Gateaux Bakery, the French inspired sweet treats were especially memorable. At lunch or dinner, each meal offered two options for dessert, and they all looked so good that it was always difficult to choose. As a committed chocoholic, I didn’t regret having the Dark Chocolate Mousse Torte and the Blood Orange Chocolate Pecan Tart.

Accompanying each meal was a special selection of paired wines that were handpicked and locally sourced. I especially liked the crisp Plum Creek Riesling from one of the vineyards located in Colorado’s Grand Valley, which paired exceedingly well with my smoked salmon entrée.

Defining easy travel
This luxury experience isn’t limited to just the time on the train. The Canyon Spirit staff took care of all the details before, during, and after the train journey. Transfers to and from the train each day were included, as were the accommodations on train travel days.

In each locale, the company has partnered with high-end hotels that were conveniently located near the train stations. In fact, in both Glenwood Springs and Denver, I was able to easily walk from the train to my room in under 10 minutes (and I did not have to haul my luggage!)

My favorite perk was the luggage handling – or rather, the lack of having to (woman)handle my own bags. Each morning, I left my suitcase in my hotel room, and the Canyon Spirit elves spirited it into my hotel room at the end of the day. I only took a small bag with me on the train that held any essentials I needed throughout the day (medicines, camera, phone, etc.).

Choose from two different packages
The Canyon Spirit offers two different booking packages, Standard and Premier.

The Standard Package includes all of the following:
– Reclining leather seats in a glass-dome panoramic rail car.
– Seat-side meals and beverage service.
– Overnight accommodations between train days, including transfers to and from the rail stations.
– Luggage delivery on train days.
– On board dining featuring local flavors accompanied by regional wines and beers, along with soft drinks, juices, coffee, and tea.
– Onboard hosts that bring the scenery to life with storytelling and personal anecdotes.

The Premier package includes everything in the Standard Package, along with:
– Exclusive access to the lounge cars.
– Elevated menu options and gourmet snacks.
– Premium beverages.

I experienced the Premier Package and enjoyed every aspect of it.

My train trip on the Canyon Spirit truly was all about the journey. It embodied all the best aspects of slow travel without any work on my part. For three days, I focused on the ever-changing landscape as it evolved from high desert to graceful stone arches and red rock canyons and finally to evergreen-studded mountain peaks, while all my needs were effortlessly taken care of. Now that is my kind of Adventure!

Rose Palmer believes that life is a patchwork of experiences. Traveling the world is one of her deepest passions which continues to add to her ever-growing quilt of life experiences. She likes to focus her traveling lens on art, architecture, history, nature, and soft adventure with a touch of luxury. Rose shares her award-winning stories and photos on her blog www.Quiltripping.com.  

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