These are America's most scenic train rides

Look out for: As the first U.S. offering from luxury Canadian company Rocky Mountaineer, the 'Rockies to the Red Rocks' trip takes passengers on a two-day ride from Denver to Moab—passing through stunning Rocky Mountains and southwest scenery along the way. Witness all this beauty from the train's glass-dome top. This seasonal route usually runs from mid-April through the end of the summer.

Journey: From Denver, Colorado, through Glenwood Springs, and on to Moab, Utah (you can also elect to continue on to Salt Lake City).

Journey time: Two days

Price: $2,617-3,072

Look out for: Amtrak’s 1,377-mile Coast Starlight route hits the best of the West: Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Sacramento and, across the state line into Oregon: Portland. Bounce from your seat to the dining car and the 'sightseer lounge car,' where all the seats face the panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Journey: Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington along the California coast

Journey time: 36 hours

Price: A coach ticket is approximately $150 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations will be more.

Look out for: If you're looking for a train ride with ocean views, you can't beat Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, which travels along a 351-mile route. Much of the trip is directly along the California coast. The route starts out in San Diego before meandering up through Anaheim, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and ending in San Luis Obispo in the central part of the state.

Journey: San Diego to San Luis Obispo, California

Journey time: 8-9 hours

Price: A coach ticket is approximately $61 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations will be more.

Look out for: Sure, you may have been to the Grand Canyon already, but have you ever admired its environs by train? On The Grand Canyon Railway, you’ll depart from Williams, Arizona, and roll through pine forests and prairies, catching glimpses of pronghorn and bald eagles, before arriving at the epic South Rim. All of the historic cars of the Grand Canyon Railway have fascinating former lives and some have glass-dome ceilings for unstoppable panoramas. 

Journey: Williams, Arizona to the Grand Canyon

Journey time: Just over two hours

Price: Starting at $45 one way for adults for coach class. First class is $85 and the luxury dome car is $120.

Look out for: There is only one word to describe this journey: epic. Amtrak's Empire Builder runs daily between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest, mirroring much of Lewis and Clark’s original expedition. It passes through a greatest-hits list of must-see sites, including urban St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Big Sky country and Glacier National Park. The trip totals 46 hours, which probably warrants booking at least a roomette with seats that convert to beds so you can fully stretch out once you’ve gotten your fill of landscapes under the moonlight (although people have been known to go cross-country via a reclining coach seat).

Journey: Chicago, Illinois to Portland, Oregon

Journey time: 45-46 hours

Price: Coach starts around $208, while a roomette starts at $1,305 (and there’s also a private room option as well).

Look out for: This 350-mile stretch through the heart of Alaska highlights the state's beautiful, rugged wilderness. Between the birch forests, rushing rivers, caribou- and bear-spotting and a stint through Denali National Park, there’s a reason this is the Alaska Railroad’s flagship sojourn. If you can swing it, splurge on a GoldStar upgrade and take in the spectacular scenery from an outdoor, upper level viewing platform, with absolutely nothing between you and the wild. Best of all of course are the stunning vistas of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.

Journey: Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska

Journey time: 12 hours

Price: GoldStar is $445 while Adventure Class is $221.

Look out for: Hopping aboard the Skunk Train is like traveling back in time—this historic train has been traversing Mendocino County in California since 1885. Today, you can choose from a variety of routes and experiences. The most popular journey is Wolf Tree Turn. This 16-mile route will take you through old-growth redwood groves within Noyo River Canyon, over trestle bridges and under tunnels, ending with a stop in Crowley, where you can take in the majesty of one of the oldest trees in the area, the Wolf Tree. Enjoy snacks and beverages (including alcoholic ones) before heading back toward Willits.

Journey: An excursion ride through Willits, California

Journey time: 2 hours

Price: $65, with a chance to upgrade to a cab ride (with the engineer in the cab) for $295 or a VIP ticket with picnic lunch and a gift for 100.

Look out for: It may be pint-size, but Bryson City, the departure point for this rail-riding adventure, is rich with local gems like barbecue joints, a soda fountain and a brewery. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has various routes, but the four-and-a-half-hour Nantahala Gorge excursion is a scenery-serving star, snaking along the forested Nantahala River and crossing the Fontana Lake by bridge. Foliage lovers, take note: The leaves here are breathtaking during the fall.

Journey: Out and back from Bryson City, North Carolina

Journey time: 3.5 hours

Price: There are six classes of fare, ranging from $59 for coach to $114 for first class.

Look out for: Like the Little Engine That Could, this antique train run by a cog mechanism chugs daily up Mount Washington, depositing its passengers at the 6,288-foot peak, the highest in the Northeast. A working museum of sorts (the track dates to 1852), the Cog has the elevated feel of a gondola, only you’re in a sturdy little train. At the top, take in the sweeping views of Canada and the Atlantic on a clear day. 

Journey: Out and back from Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

Journey time: 3 hours

Price: $52-95 depending on season

Look out for: On this California Wine Country track, you can get intoxicated by the scenery alone: picture-perfect wineries and hills carpeted in lush rows of vines. The Napa Valley Wine Train comprises a collection of vintage Pullman railcars complete with mahogany panels and brass hardware. There are 14 different experiences to choose from; we’ll focus on the vista dome lunch train, which includes a four course gourmet meal and a glass of sparkling wine. So go ahead and soak it all up—you’re not behind the wheel, after all.

Journey: An out and back excursion in Napa, California

Journey time: 3 hours

Price: Starts at $320

Look out for: At more than 2,400 miles long, the California Zephyr—stretching from San Francisco to Chicago—follows Amtrak's longest route. While we don't recommend you do the route in its entirety (unless that floats your boat), we love the route stretching from Emeryville, just across the bay from San Francisco, to the Lake Tahoe area where you can deboard in Truckee or Reno. This scenic journey is an ideal way to get to Tahoe, beat the traffic and take in fantastic views.  

Journey: Emeryville, California to Reno, Nevada

Journey time: 6 hours 45 minutes

Price: A coach ticket is approximately $69 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations will be more.

Look out for: Train travel takes a turn for the tropical on this 90-minute jaunt across Oahu in an old sugar-cane hauler traveling at the lickety-split speed of 15 miles an hour. The ride with the Hawaiian Railway Society shows you a rarely-seen version of Hawai'i, filled with old sisal plantations and ghost towns. Time your trip for the second Sunday of the month and you can book a seat in the elegant 1900 parlor car that was the personal ride of Oahu Railway & Land Co. founder Mr. Dillingham. It's worth noting, however, that reservations are now required to ride the train. 

Journey: Oahu, Hawai’i

Journey time: 2 hours

Price: $18

Look out for: This is one of the most scenic ways to experience one of the most scenic states. A ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway isn’t merely photo fodder, but a full immersion into the wild, wild west. The train has been rolling between Durango and Silverton since 1882, when it was tasked with transporting silver and gold out of the San Juan Mountains. The 45.4-mile route runs in both directions along the Animas River, crisscrossing it five times, and passing by old stagecoach trails and long-deserted mining camps as it winds between 14,000ft high peaks. This seasonal train runs early May to early November.

Journey: Roundtrip from Durango to Silverton, Colorado

Journey time: 3.5 hours each way, plus two hours in Silverton

Price: $109-289 roundtrip on the steam train and $101-289 on the diesel train.

Look out for: While the destination is a major draw, getting there is half the fun from New York City to Vermont. On Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express, you’ll cruise through the postcard-perfect towns of New York’s Hudson Valley and hit Saratoga Springs, as famous for its horse races as its hot springs. You’ll snake around Vermont’s fittingly named Green Mountains before landing in the charming little-big city Burlington with its historic downtown and one helluva farmers' market.

Journey: New York City, New York to Burlington, Vermont

Journey time: 7.5 hours

Price: A coach ticket is approximately $66 (pricing is best if you book earlier), while a business seat or overnight sleeper accommodations will be more.