Quite possibly our most “classic” train tour is this in-depth exploration of the Colorado Rockies at the peak of autumn color, traveling on standard and narrow gauge railways to summits of over 14,000 feet. Also included is a ride on the legendary Rio Grande route through the depths of the Royal Gorge.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1, Sunday, September 14: Your guide will meet you at London Heathrow airport and we travel on the 15.45 flight to Denver arriving at 18.25 local time (flight takes 9hr 40mins). Upgrades are available to premier economy or business class. Coach transfer to the Comfort Inn Downtown, a full-service hotel associated with and sharing public rooms with the legendary Brown Palace Hotel for the first of our three night stay
Day 2, Monday, September 15: Free day to acclimatise to the time-zone and altitude. Denver is 1-mile above sea-level! Downtown Denver has a vibrant historic district and is served by a great new Light Rail System.
Day 3, Tuesday, September 16: We depart this morning for the finest scenic journey on the entire Amtrak system, the California Zephir crossing of the Rockies. We begin with a 4,000-foot ascent to the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel through the yawning abyss of the South Boulder Canyon. At Plainview, the view encompasses three states. The great 6.2 mile-long tunnel takes us through the Continental Divide (the “Crest of the Continent”) and into the drainage of the mighty Colorado River.
We follow a succession of ever deeper and grander canyons: the Fraser, Byers, Gore, Red and Glenwood. Glenwood Canyon, a 6,000-foot deep slash in the ranges of the western slope, ends at the lovely resort of Glenwood Springs. We train here and overnight at the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge. Includes: (B).
Day 4, Wednesday, September 17: Our first scenic road journey as we follow the increasingly arid canyons of the Colorado River west through Rifle and Palisade, and then begin the ascent and crossing of Grand Mesa. The nearly flat summit of this 10,000-foot mountain is incised with dozens of tiny lakes. The slopes are cloaked in an immense aspen forest, which should be blazing gold at this time.
After descending to the apple orchards and ranches near Delta, we have an included lunch at the Apple Shed Gallery before continuing south into the awesome San Juan Mountains. Our hotel is the Ouray Chalet in the spa town of Ouray. This picturesque village lies in an amphitheatre of giant peaks with waterfalls plunging into the village from the heights above. Includes: (L).
Day 5, Thursday, September 18: This morning our coach takes on a drive through Uncompahgre Canyon, past Black Bear Falls, to the summit of Red Mountain Pass, then returns to Ridgeway, where we turn west over Dallas Divide for Telluride. Enroute to Red Mountain Pass we see narrow gauge railway traces and well-preserved ghost towns.
From Ridgeway to Telluride and Durango we closely follow the abandoned line of the Rio Grande Southern RR across the top of the world. Our mid-day stop for optional lunches and shopping is in Telluride which lies on the floor of a box canyon. At the head of the valley waterfalls cascade over a thousand feet down the slopes. The entire center of town is a National Historic Landmark.
As an added treat, we visit the Anasazi Heritage Center to learn of the “ancient ones”: Native Americans who built the cliff dwellings of the Southwest. Our home for two nights is the landmark General Palmer House Hotel in Durango, adjacent to the active depot of the steam-powered Silverton train. This hotel is a Victorian treasure.
Day 6, Friday, September 19: The entire day is devoted to the grandest of all Colorado rail journeys and one of the most spectacular in the world, the steam-powered Silverton train ascent of the Animas River Canyon to the “ghost town” of Silverton. Built as the Silverton Branch of the Denver and Rio Grande (D&RG), today’s Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway operates 45 miles north from Durango through scenery that approximates Switzerland. We have a mid-day break in Silverton for lunch and time to explore the shops and galleries before an afternoon return to Durango. Includes: (B).
Day 7, Saturday, September 20: Early this morning we travel by road to champ, NM to board the longest narrow gauge steam railway in North America. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RR follows the former Denver and Rio Grande San Juan Extension for 64 miles over 10,033 foot Cumbres Pass through the heart of the San Juan Mountains. Powerful 2-8-2 “Mikado” engines power the train up the 4% grade to the Pass, often double-heading for the ascent.
We stop for an included luncheon at Osier, then descend steeply past Toltec Gorge. Los Pinos Canyon is covered with aspen trees, which should be in radiant color as we cross and recross the Colorado/New Mexico border enroute to our destination at Antonito in the vast San Luis Valley. We stay for the next two nights at the Inn of the Rio Grande in Alamosa.
Day 8, Sunday, September 21: Today we enjoy Colorado’s newest (yet historic) rail line, the standard gauge Rio Grande Scenic RR, which we take from Alamosa to La Veta. This line restores passenger service to the wildly beautiful La Veta Pass, a summit last crossed by regularly scheduled passenger trains over 50 years ago. Weekend service on the line is normally powered by a restored former Southern Pacific 2-6-0 steam engine.
We’ll enjoy an included lunch at the historic Spanish Mission style La Veta Inn, before returning to Alamosa via the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Here the endless easterly flow of the winds across the vastness of the San Luis Valley have created towering sand dunes which rise up to 750 feet above the valley floor against the westward flanks of the Sangre de Christo Mountains. Includes: (L).
Day 9, Monday, September 22: The Royal Gorge beckons. The Arkansas River bisects a tall plateau between Parkdale and Canon City, creating a gorge over 1200 feet deep with sheer cliffs towering
above. The canyon is so narrow at the bottom that the D&RG railroad constructed a unique “Hanging Bridge” anchored in both sides of the canyon, thus running the tracks suspended over center of the river!
Once this was the most famous train stop in the west; and all services on the original Rio Grande RR mainline paused here for pictures. A thousand feet above is the spectacular Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge, the highest such span on earth. We view this awesome sight on three different trains. After an amazing day, we travel on to Colorado Springs, staying in the city center at the
renowned Antlers Hilton Hotel. Includes: (L).
Day 10, Tuesday, September 23: We travel through the stunning red-rock monoliths of the Garden of the Gods enroute to Manitou Springs. Here we board the world’s highest cog railway, the Manitou
Springs and Pikes Peak Cog Ry., and ascend to the 14,110 foot summit which inspired the writing of “America the Beautiful”.
Luncheon is included at Giuseppe’s Old Station Restaurant in the former Colorado Springs depot of the Rio Grande. This afternoon we drive west into the high peaks. We follow the abandoned routes of the Colorado Midland and South Park railways to Summit County, on the shores of Lake Dillon, staying at the Lake Dillon Lodge in Frisco for the next two nights. Includes: (L), (D).
Day 11, Wednesday, September 24: We visit the highest city in North America today, the former silver mining town of Leadville, which lies at over 10,000 feet. Enroute today we’ll make two crossings of the Continental Divide. We visit the historic Tabor Opera House, the Healy House, and the new National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, and enjoy lunch at the National Historic Landmark Delaware Hotel.
This afternoon we ride on the last miles of the former Denver, South Park and Pacific RR. The Leadville, Colorado and Southern RR now operates the former South Park route up Fremont Pass to the Climax Mines. The views from this line are among the grandest in Colorado, offering open vistas of the perpetually snow-capped high peaks of the College Range. Includes: (L).
Day 12, Thursday, September 25: We make our last crossing of the Great Divide enroute to the ghost town of Silver Plume, where we travel on the steam-powered narrow-gauge Georgetown Loop Railway. This former Colorado and Southern narrow-gauge line faced an almost insurmountable engineering challenge in conquering the dramatic rise between the silver-mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume.
In an airline distance of just under two miles, the C&S engineers gained over 600 feet in elevation by resorting to a 4,5mile route including a high trestle and a complete loop. The scenery is unbelievable. We have lunch in the beautifully preserved Victorian town of Georgetown.
Later we explore the superb Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, which has a priceless collection of Colorado standard and narrow gauge relics. This evening we take Denver’s new Light Rail (trolley car) line to dine at the landmark Buckhorn Pioneer Exchange Restaurant. Our last night is again at the Comfort Inn Downtown in Denver. Includes: (L), (D).
Day 13, Friday, September 26: We transfer to the airport and catch the overnight flight back to Heathrow arriving back at 12.10 on Saturday. Includes: (B).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price:
- Full 12-night holiday from Heathrow at £2,399;
- Full 11-night holiday from Denver at £1,750;
- Single room supplement - £350.
Price Includes:
- All trains and excursions as listed in the itinerary;
- Hotel accommodation with breakfast each morning;
- Services of our tour guides in Portugal (holiday is fully escorted);
- Luggage transfer and assistance is provided throughout the tour.
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USA
Colorado
Railway Trips
Ecotourism
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