Guide To Riding The Stunning Verde Canyon Railroad, Arizona

11 months ago 64

Arizona is known for its unthinkable reddish stone scenery and immense godforsaken vistas. When it comes to viewing the champion scenery, you tin won’t find a much leisurely acquisition than connected a Verde Canyon Railroad experience.

This relaxing vintage bid travel allows you to instrumentality successful the beauteous scenery from panoramic windows, oregon from an unfastened aerial car.

If you privation to spot the antithetic stone formations, copper mines, and stunning unspoiled Verde Valley landscapes, past you volition privation to springiness this acquisition a go.

But what is the Verde Canyon Railroad and what is simply a travel like? Then support speechmaking to larn astir our experiences…

Disclaimer: We were hosted by the railroad erstwhile we visited. However, I would besides urge First Class to anyone looking to bash this experience. The bully quality is it’s lone $20 other than a regular summons and I deliberation good worthy the price.

Table Of Contents

What is the Verde Canyon Railroad?

The Verde Canyon Railroad is simply a 40-mile instrumentality travel done 100 years of history, civilization and melodramatic scenery.

It follows the Verde River and the riparian ecosystem it carves on the mode with cottonwood and precocious sandstone cliffs flanking its sides.

You’ll thrust on historical trestles, passing Native American ruins and historical sites, arsenic good arsenic spot the iconic reddish stone canyon scenes.

This is simply a portion that is lone accessible by bid – unless you privation to strap connected the boots and bash a spot of hiking, but we’re talking astir taking a interruption from that.

The Rail Road was completed successful 1912 to work the mining municipality of Jerome. The mining epoch ended successful 1962, but the railroad endured and successful 1990 the archetypal rider scenic excursion of the Verde Canyon Railroad began.

train successful a canyon with stream moving done it

Now passengers tin question done the aforesaid isolated and rugged scenery that those aboriginal pioneers saw arsenic they were struggling to blast and laic the tracks.

For the bid buffs, the bid is powered by Vintage FP7 locomotives, lone 2 of 10 remaining successful work successful North America.

Those into photography volition privation to drawback their champion wide space camera for this trip!

What is the Railroad Experience Like?

The Verde Canyon Railroad is somewhat of a hidden gem due to the fact that of its distant location, but is inactive 1 of the apical things to bash successful Sedona, which is conscionable a 30-minute thrust from the starting point.

We had truthful galore different tips and attractions connected our database of things to bash successful Sedona, including meal astatine Elote Café, hiking the Devil’s Bridge, the Pink Jeep tour, and each the fantastic vortex hikes.

But I lone recovered retired astir the Verde Canyon Railroad acquisition erstwhile I popped into the visitant halfway to get a Sedona map.

train going implicit span successful verdde canyon

I overhead a unit subordinate telling a mates astir the bid travel and mentioning that it was not lone 1 of the apical Sedona attractions and things to bash successful Arizona, but 1 of the apical 4 attractions successful the USA!

What???

That’s monolithic kudos. I knew past it was thing for america to experience.

Our girls insisted that we bash it successful benignant – archetypal class!

In the First Class carriage you get appetizers, champagne toast upon arrival, entree to a currency bar, and comfy seats ample capable to prevarication down connected – not conscionable for the children; I spied a fewer adults resting aft a mates of glasses of wine!

You tin besides acquisition alcoholic drinks specified arsenic brew and ales, and of course, galore varieties of wine.

That’s the benignant and gait of the Verde Canyon Railroad.

girls eating nutrient connected verde canyon railroad

After a week of challenging hikes successful Sedona and thrilling off-road adventures, we LOVED having the accidental to bask the quality of the canyon without having to walk, climb, drive, oregon clasp connected tight.

We could adjacent bask a solid of vino and a toasty wintertime blaster liquor java portion doing it.

And I could really deterioration jeans, a beauteous top, and my favourite cowgirl boots! Sometimes it’s bully to formal up aft days successful the wilderness.

caz and the girls taking photos of The Verde Canyon Railroad

It besides made for large timing to spell to the Elote Café for meal aft the bid ride. Since we were dressed a small much fancy and not each sweaty for a alteration it made sense.

It’s precise casual for maine to gaffe into the gentle swaying of bid travel.

I caught the bid each time to school, to University, and to my large miss job. I emotion however obstruction question offers a abstraction to contemplate, relax, power disconnected and connect.

This bid is nary different. The infinitesimal you measurement aboard the bid you’re greeted by affable unit holding a tray of champagne acceptable for a toast.

Hello Verde Canyon!

Our carriage had loads of energy.

I’m not definite if it was the $16 vessel of wines everyone seemed to person connected their tables, oregon conscionable the earthy tone of the unsocial acquisition bringing retired the joy.

We were astir apt the youngest connected the train, but everyone was affable and funny and benignant to the girls. Like each bully bid journeys we struck up galore conversations with strangers who felt similar friends.

Most of this happened connected the instrumentality travel – which is what I liked truthful overmuch astir this experience.

On the archetypal limb of the Verde Valley journey, we spent astir of the 90 minutes retired successful the open-air viewing cars.

Every carriage nary substance the people gets entree to an unfastened aerial carriage. As the windows wrong the carriages aren’t ace large, this is however you’ll get your champion views.

I was disquieted that since we had already experienced truthful galore striking Sedona colors, vistas and Red Rock landscapes that it whitethorn beryllium a small blasé, but no. I don’t deliberation you ever could with the scenery retired here.

It’s magnetic.

people lasting connected an extracurricular train

Verde Canyon Railroad imoving done the reddish rocky landscape

In the unfastened aerial carriages our guide, Shu, shared galore stories astir the past and civilization of the region.

He pointed retired caves wherever they erstwhile saw upland lions, alerting america to stone look names similar Turtle and Elephant Rock, Abraham Lincoln and Nixon, and the past cliff dwellings from the section Sinagua tribe. who built their chromatic structures successful caved perched precariously above.

The guides are precise bully astatine alerting you to erstwhile bully photograph opportunities are arriving. Counting you down to cameras astatine the acceptable for curves, span crossings and passageway approaches.

I loved pursuing the Verde River and getting a glimpse astatine the onshore it carved. I tin lone ideate however beauteous it indispensable beryllium successful the outpouring and autumn erstwhile those beauteous deciduous trees are successful afloat bloom shading the river.

Keep an oculus retired for the antithetic plants: cottonwoods, walnuts, askes, alders and oaks, and assorted cactus and indigenous plants similar banana yuccas.

You whitethorn adjacent spot immoderate wildlife, astatine slightest birds if you don’t spot immoderate of the bigger animals. We saw cervid retired the model connected the mode back.

people connected a bid looking astatine the scenery

It was hard to propulsion the girls retired of the carriage to measurement extracurricular and soak up the views. They were engrossed successful their enactment publication with crossword puzzles, quizzes, find a words, and connection classifying each astir the flora and fauna of the region, the past and the culture.

I was astir impressed with everything they learned arsenic a effect of this clever mode to prosecute the kids. They were astir excited to larn that Verde meant green.

When they did travel extracurricular they were wowed and were connected the lookout for animals that possibly were sneaking down to the stream banks for a drink.

people connected a bid looking astatine a canyon

We did spot mule cervid connected the instrumentality travel backmost done the compartment window.

Oh, it was beauteous hard to resistance them distant from the $1 crystal pick we bought for them connected the mode back.

The bid stops for 25 minutes successful the aged shade municipality of Perkinsville. It erstwhile housed a assemblage of astir 20 families, but everyone left.

It was bully to basal retired successful the lukewarm prima and ticker the motor detach from the beforehand of the bid and rotation on beside america to spell to the backmost acceptable to instrumentality to Clarkdale AZ.

If you are a Western fan, you whitethorn admit the Railroad presumption successful Perkinsville. Parts of the movie How the West Was Won was filmed here.

The instrumentality limb was wherever we relaxed a small more. Chatting with our friends successful the carriage and drinking our delicious liquor coffee.

We continued to popular retired to the unfastened aerial carriage, particularly going done the tunnel. I ne'er get bushed of the abrupt blackness a passageway travel tin springiness to a bid experience.

I urge you support popping retired due to the fact that adjacent though you person seen the scenery before, it changes with the absorption you question successful and the changing light.

The day rays illuminate the canyon successful antithetic ways and gives it a softer light.

There wasn’t an lack of a smiling look arsenic we exited from the bid saying goodbye to 1 different and thanking the fantabulous staff. The Verde Canyon Railroad volition beryllium connected of the highlights of our USA Road Trip I americium sure.

This is simply a travel that volition springiness you a glimpse of what beingness successful the South-West was similar anterior to the accomplishment of humans, who person present taken implicit astir of the expansive Wild West.

It’s a magnificent wilderness way successful the isolated precocious desert.

Video of the Verde Canyon Railroad experience

Click play to articulation the travel with america connected the Verde Canyon Railroad…

Planning Your Rail Journey

woman looking retired bid model astatine reddish canyon landsscape

The Verde Canyon Railway runs from March 1st until April 30th, and again from September 12th to October 31st. They besides clasp a Magical Christmas Journey bid rides from November 24th until December 24th.

They besides clasp galore lawsuit rides passim the year, specified arsenic vino tasting rides successful the summertime and peculiar Valentine’s Day rides.

You tin reserve lawsuit rides via an Online Reservation system for the Verde Canyon Railway.

Our bid departed astatine 1:00pm AZ clip successful Clarkdale. Departure times tin alteration passim the months.

It is recommended that you get an hr aboriginal to springiness yourself clip to cheque successful and committee the train. There is simply a bid depot with food, drinks, a tiny museum, and plentifulness of accusation boards for you to peruse portion you hold to depart.

You tin besides get a railway summons with a complimentary champagne toast erstwhile booking via Get your Guide.

Check the availability widget below:

Alternatively, they besides person the Verde Canyon Railroad circuit acquisition from Scottsdale and Phoenix

FAQs About the Verde Canyon Railroad

Here’s what radical usually inquire america astir the Verde Canyon Railroad…

Does the rider car person aerial con?

Yes, the carriages person clime power meaning you tin bask the comfortableness of this bid successful the blistery Arizona heat.

Who is Verde Canyon Railroad suitable for?

The Verde Canyon Railroad caters to everyone. They person peculiar dietary options successful the snack bar, and person wheelchair accessible platforms. You tin inquire the attendant for assistance arsenic well.

Does the Verde Canyon Railroad run successful the rain?

No, the bid lone runs successful bully weather. However, if your thrust gets canceled owed to mediocre weather, you tin either get a afloat refund your summons oregon thrust connected a antithetic date.

How agelong is the Verde Canyon Railroad

The bid thrust travels for 20 miles done the immense canyon, which takes 3-4 hours each way. The full travel is 40 miles and takes up to 8 hours, truthful let a afloat time to bash this experience. It travels from Clarkdale successful Arizona to Perkinsville successful Arizona.

Where to Stay successful Sedona

Still deciding connected a spot to enactment successful Sedona? Here are immoderate places we stayed that we would recommend.

Hilton Sedona Resort astatine Bell Rock

We’ve stayed astatine the Hilton Resort astatine Bell Rock.

Situated successful the Village of Oak Creek, the Hilton Sedona Resort is a bully spot to travel backmost to aft your regular activities, and it’s conscionable a 15-minute thrust into Uptown on the gorgeous Red Rock Scenic Byway 179!

You tin get stunning reddish stone views from your balcony each the mode to Bell Rock, and edifice amenities see 3 sparkling pools, an expansive diversion nine and spa, and title play course.

girl lasting connected a edifice balcony

Our kids loved the games of cornhole, array tennis, and jenga – allowing parents to really beryllium and unbend during a repast whilst they were entertained.

kids playing games successful a backyard

There’s besides occurrence pits to beryllium around, and you tin dine retired connected the edifice structure country with distant views.

Best Western Plus Arroyo Roble Hotel & Creekside Villas

If you privation to enactment successful the bosom of Uptown without spending a fortune, see the Best Western Plus Arroyo Roble Hotel & Creekside Villas.

My parents and sister person stayed present successful 1 of the Creekside Villas and loved the abstraction and location.

Book aboriginal due to the fact that of this hotels proximity to Uptown.

Luxury Sedona Resorts

If you’re looking for luxury, see the L’Auberge de Sedona situated connected the banks of Oak Creek successful the bosom of Uptown. This is an unmatched luxury edifice and quality spa with award-winning dining.

Sedona Boutique Hotels

Another fashionable prime is Orchards Inn, which offers panoramic reddish stone views and is centrally located among Uptowns finest shops, galleries and restaurants.

There are plentifulness of different large places to enactment successful Sedona depending upon whether you are looking for Uptown Sedona hotels, Sedona household resorts, oregon different hotels adjacent Sedona AZ.

For a implicit database of options for each the champion hotels successful Sedona, visit our spouse Booking.com.

More Sedona Tours

Below are different recommended tours and Sedona attractions from our partners astatine Get Your Guide:

Free American Southwest Itinerary

You tin besides entree our Southwest itinerary (10 day, 2 week, 3 week and 4 week ideas for you) and our Utah bucket database erstwhile you articulation our Free VIP email tribe!