America’s most remote train ride runs through Alaska and some of its stops have no roads at all

It’s not a scenic train. It’s a lifeline.

The Alaska Railroad doesn’t run through Alaska so much as it holds the place together.

From the coastal port of Seward all the way to Fairbanks in the interior, the line stretches over 470 miles through glaciers, mountain passes, river canyons and subarctic tundra.

Some of the communities along the route have no roads at all.

The train is how people get home. But for you, it’s something else entirely: a front-row seat to a landscape most people never see.

The federal government built it for $60 million

This railroad didn’t start with the government. In 1903, a private company called the Alaska Central Railroad broke ground in Seward and headed north.

It went bankrupt. Congress stepped in with a $35 million budget in 1914, and workers started over.

At the height of construction in 1917, more than 4,500 people were cutting through mountains and hauling track across river valleys.

When President Warren G. Harding drove the ceremonial golden spike at Nenana on July 15, 1923, the final bill came to nearly $60 million.

Anchorage started as a tent camp for railroad workers

Before the railroad, Anchorage was nothing.

In 1915, workers pitched tents along Ship Creek to serve as the construction camp and headquarters for the federal project. That camp grew into Alaska’s largest city.

The railroad’s reach grew too: between 1941 and 1943, workers built a branch line to the port at Whittier to haul military supplies during World War II.

In January 1985, Alaska bought the whole operation from the federal government for $22.3 million.

The Denali Star runs 356 miles in about 12 hours

The flagship route of the Alaska Railroad is the Denali Star, which covers roughly 356 miles between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Two trains run daily during the summer season, mid-May through mid-September, one heading north and one heading south, both leaving at 8:20 a.m.

The route passes through the frontier town of Talkeetna and rolls past the entrance to Denali National Park.

On a clear day, you can see Denali itself from as close as 40 to 50 miles away.

A bridge hangs 296 feet above Hurricane Gulch

Between Talkeetna and Denali National Park, the train crosses the Hurricane Gulch bridge. You look straight down 296 feet to the creek below, with the gorge spreading roughly 900 feet from edge to edge.

The train tops out around 59 miles per hour on open track, but through the mountain passes it slows to about 30.

North of Denali, the route hugs the edge of a cliff above the Nenana River canyon, where you might spot rafters and kayakers working the water below.

National Geographic ranked the Coastal Classic in the top 10

National Geographic Traveler has placed the Coastal Classic among the top ten train rides in North America. The route covers about 110 miles from Anchorage to Seward, taking roughly four hours each way.

Out of Anchorage, the train runs along Turnagain Arm, where the Chugach Range drops straight into the water.

After a stop in Girdwood, the tracks leave the road system entirely and push into backcountry wilderness, where Dall sheep cling to the cliffs above and bald eagles fish in the water below.

The most beautiful stretch has no roads near it

South of Portage, the Coastal Classic enters terrain you cannot reach by car.

The tracks pass through tunnels cut into the mountains, cross cascading streams and run within sight of glaciers and snowy peaks. Wildflowers line the route during summer.

The train descends through Moose Pass, then follows the bright blue Kenai Lake into Seward, where Resurrection Bay opens up and the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park begins.

Most passengers who’ve ridden the whole railroad point to this stretch as the best of it.

Spencer Glacier is only reachable by train

The Glacier Discovery connects Anchorage to Whittier, Spencer Glacier and Grandview, making it a solid day trip from the city.

Getting to Whittier means passing through a 2.5-mile tunnel, the only combined rail and vehicle tunnel in the country, with traffic alternating direction one lane at a time.

At the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop, you can step off the train and walk a 1.3-mile path to the edge of Spencer Lake, where the glacier towers above the water.

You can also raft, hike or kayak among icebergs in the lake.

Wave your hand and the train stops for you

The Hurricane Turn is one of the last flagstop trains in the country, which means you can board or get off anywhere along the 56-mile route simply by waving down the engineer.

About 40 people live year-round in the roadless area the train serves, in a community called Chase.

The train is their only connection to the outside world, and they use it to haul groceries, supplies and building materials back to their cabins. It runs Thursday through Monday in summer.

There’s no dining car, so pack your own food.

Bears, moose and caribou come with the territory

The railroad moves through prime Alaska wildlife habitat for its entire length.

Moose show up regularly along the tracks, and black and brown bears get spotted in the brush and near rivers throughout the route. Dall sheep appear on the cliffs above Turnagain Arm on the Coastal Classic.

Caribou cross the open subarctic terrain north of Denali.

The Hurricane Turn has been known to stop and back up just so passengers can get a longer look at an animal alongside the tracks.

Glass-dome cars look up at the sky while you eat

On the Denali Star and Coastal Classic, you can upgrade to GoldStar service and ride in glass-dome cars with panoramic ceiling windows.

There’s an outdoor viewing platform on the upper level, and the lower level runs a full-service dining room using local Alaska ingredients.

Your ticket covers all meals, soft drinks and two complimentary beverages if you’re over 21.

If you’d rather keep it simpler, Adventure Class gives you reserved seating, large picture windows and access to a shared dome car on every route.

In winter, the Aurora train chases the northern lights

From mid-September to mid-May, the Aurora Winter Train runs the same Anchorage-to-Fairbanks corridor as the summer Denali Star.

It runs northbound on Saturdays and southbound on Sundays, with some midweek departures mixed in.

Snow-covered forests and frozen rivers replace the summer green, and Denali tends to show itself more clearly in the cold air.

The remote stops along the route sit in near-total darkness, with almost no light pollution, which puts you in some of the best northern lights territory in North America.

Book your Alaska Railroad trip in Anchorage

You can board the Alaska Railroad at the main depot at 411 W. 1st Ave. in Anchorage, with additional stations in Seward, Girdwood, Whittier, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks.

Summer service runs mid-May through mid-September on the Denali Star, Coastal Classic, Glacier Discovery and Hurricane Turn routes. The Aurora Winter Train runs weekends from mid-September through mid-May.

Book through the official website or by calling the railroad directly.

GoldStar service is available on the Denali Star and Coastal Classic; Adventure Class runs on all routes.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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