See Stunning Fall Colors in 2025: 5 Scenic U.S. Train Rides That Showcase Them
There’s something about the rhythm of a train—the click-clack of steel on track, the slow drift of fog across golden hills of fall colors, the way time stretches and softens as you glide past rivers and ridges. For those who crave the romance of the rails and the hush of autumn landscapes, these long US train rides are more than transportation—they’re cinematic journeys. Each route below offers a front-row seat to the season’s quiet magic, with over-the-top views and just enough mystery to make you feel like you’re chasing something beautiful and fleeting. Let’s board the wanderlust train and fall in love with fall travel all over again.
California Zephyr: The Crown Jewel of Scenic Rail
If trains had royalty, the California Zephyr would wear the crown. This 52-hour odyssey from Chicago to Emeryville, CA, is a masterclass in American geography, slicing through the heart of the Rockies, the red rock deserts of Utah, and the snow-dusted Sierra Nevada.
Route Highlights: Chicago, IL → Omaha, NE → Denver, CO → Salt Lake City, UT → Reno, NV → Emeryville, CA
Ticket Cost: Coach: ~$150 Sleeper: ~$500+
Why It’s Magic: The Zephyr doesn’t just pass through landscapes—it immerses you in them. Watch the morning mist rise over the Mississippi, then sip coffee as the train climbs into the Rockies, where canyons narrow and aspens shimmer like gold coins. In fall, the valleys erupt in fall colors—burnt orange, deep crimson, and flickers of yellow that seem to dance with the wind. By the time you reach California, the world feels bigger, and so do you.
Empire Builder: Through the Wild Heart of the Northwest
The Empire Builder is a rugged, poetic ride from Chicago to Seattle or Portland, tracing the footsteps of Lewis and Clark through untouched wilderness and mountain passes that seem carved by myth.
Route Highlights: Chicago, IL → Minneapolis, MN → Fargo, ND → Glacier National Park, MT → Spokane, WA → Seattle, WA / Portland, OR
Ticket Cost: Coach: ~$180 Sleeper: ~$600+
Why It’s Magic: Fall transforms this route into a living oil painting. The train threads through golden plains, then climbs into Glacier National Park, where elk graze and fog clings to the peaks like secrets. The forests blaze with fall colors—rust, amber, and wine-red—casting a glow that feels almost sacred. In the observation car, the silence is broken only by the soft murmur of awe.
Coast Starlight: Pacific Dreams on Rails
From Seattle to Los Angeles, the Coast Starlight is a love letter to the West Coast. It hugs cliffs, dives through redwood forests, and glides past beaches where the waves seem to whisper stories.
Route Highlights: Seattle, WA → Portland, OR → Sacramento, CA → San Jose, CA → Los Angeles, CA
Ticket Cost: Coach: ~$150 Business/Sleeper: ~$300–$700+
Why It’s Magic: South of Santa Barbara, the train rides high above the Pacific, and if you time it right, the sun will set just as the surf turns to fire. In fall, the coastal fog rolls in like a curtain, revealing and concealing the drama of the cliffs. The redwoods shimmer with fall colors in their undergrowth, and the hillsides blush with seasonal change. It’s a theater, and you’re in the front row.
Southwest Chief: Desert Majesty and Mountain Silence
The Southwest Chief is a quiet epic, stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles through the painted deserts of New Mexico and the high passes of Colorado.
Route Highlights: Chicago, IL → Kansas City, MO → Albuquerque, NM → Flagstaff, AZ → Los Angeles, CA
Ticket Cost: Coach: ~$130 Sleeper: ~$400+
Why It’s Magic: This route is for dreamers. The desert in fall is a study in contrast—crimson mesas under pale skies, tumbleweeds rolling past ghost towns. As the train climbs into the mountains, the air thins, and the silence deepens. The cottonwoods and canyon edges glow with fall colors, like embers scattered across the landscape. You’ll feel like you’re traveling through time.
Adirondack: Autumn’s Greatest Hits
Shorter than the others but no less breathtaking, the Adirondack runs from New York City to Montreal, slicing through the Hudson Valley and the fiery forests of upstate New York.
Route Highlights: New York, NY → Albany, NY → Saratoga Springs, NY → Plattsburgh, NY → Montreal, QC
Ticket Cost: Coach: ~$70 Business: ~$120+
Why It’s Magic: This is fall’s greatest hits album. The trees explode in fall colors—scarlet maples, golden birch, and coppery oaks. The rivers shimmer with reflected gold, and every bend in the track feels like a secret revealed. It’s the kind of ride that makes you want to write poetry—or at least whisper thanks to the season.
Final Thoughts: The Romance of the Rails
Long US train rides in fall are more than scenic—they’re soul-stirring. They slow you down, stretch your perspective, and remind you that the journey is the destination. Whether you’re chasing fog through the Rockies or watching the Pacific blush at sunset, these routes offer a kind of magic that only trains—and fall colors—can deliver. So, pack a blanket, a journal, and a sense of wonder. The wanderlust train is boarding.
