Ride Amtrak’s California Zephyr in February when the Rockies are buried in snow

Two nights across seven states

The California Zephyr covers 2,438 miles between Chicago and Emeryville, just across the bay from San Francisco. You cross seven states, two major mountain ranges, and spend about 52 and a half hours on the train.

Amtrak runs it daily in both directions, one departure each way.

The route cuts through the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, and in February, heavy snow turns the whole thing into a different ride. The frozen peaks and empty observation car make winter the time to go.

This train was built to look out of

When the original California Zephyr debuted on March 20, 1949, three railroads ran it together, and they didn’t market it as a fast way to cross the country. They called it a scenic rail cruise through the Rockies.

The cars had glass-topped Vista Domes so you could look straight up at the mountains while the train rolled through them.

Airlines and rising costs killed the service in 1970, but Amtrak brought the name back in 1983 and restored the route through Colorado.

Snow, small crowds, and cheaper tickets

February puts heavy snow on the mountains, and that changes everything you see from the windows. Frozen canyons and white peaks give you views you can’t get in summer.

Fewer people ride in winter, so the observation car isn’t a fight for a seat.

Shorter days do mean you lose some scenery to darkness, but if you ride westbound, the Colorado stretch still falls in daylight. Tickets run cheaper in winter too, since summer is the busy season.

Denver to the Front Range in morning light

The train pulls out of Denver in the morning and climbs more than 4,000 feet into the Front Range. You can spot Boulder’s Flatiron rock formations as the route winds upward through the foothills.

Then comes Big Ten Curve, a 270-degree turn carved right into the mountainside. The train bends back on itself while the ground drops away below you.

Colorado’s portion of the route takes you through 28 tunnels, and riding westbound puts all of it in daylight.

The highest point on the entire Amtrak network

The 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel carries the train straight through the Continental Divide at 9,239 feet above sea level. That’s the highest point on any Amtrak route in the country.

The tunnel opened in February 1928, named for Colorado railroad pioneer David Moffat.

You sit in darkness for about 10 to 15 minutes while the train passes through, and when you come out the other side, you’re near Winter Park.

The station sits at about 8,500 feet, the highest on the network.

235 miles along the Colorado River

After the Moffat Tunnel, the train follows the Colorado River for roughly 235 miles all the way to Grand Junction. You pass through Fraser Canyon, Gore Canyon, and Byers Canyon, one after another.

The river narrows and widens as the land shifts from alpine forest to red rock.

Keep your eyes on the banks because bald eagles, mule deer, and bighorn sheep all live along this corridor.

Most riders consider this stretch the best scenery on the entire route, and it’s easy to see why once the canyons start opening up.

Glenwood Canyon and its 1,300-foot walls

Glenwood Canyon runs about 12.5 miles, with rock walls that rise to 1,300 feet on both sides of the train.

The Colorado River carved this canyon, and railroad engineers liked it so much they routed the tracks through it on purpose, even though it added travel time.

In February, snow clings to the red and tan rock, and parts of the river freeze over. If you’re heading westbound, sit on the left side.

That’s where the best views are, and you don’t want to miss them.

A canyon you can only reach by train or raft

Ruby Canyon sits right at the Colorado-Utah border, and you can’t drive to it. The only way in is by train or by floating the river.

Red rock formations twist along the tracks as the terrain shifts from mountains to high desert. The Rocky Mountains fall away behind you, and Utah’s wide-open landscape takes over.

The Colorado River here transitions into the Green River system, and the whole stretch feels like you’ve crossed into a different part of the planet.

Salt Lake City, then 500 miles of nothing

Salt Lake City is a major stop where you can get off, stretch your legs, and grab some air before the long push west.

After that, the train crosses Nevada’s open desert, miles and miles of scrubland with distant mountain ranges on the horizon.

Much of this stretch passes in the dark, but if you’re on the westbound train and wake up early, you catch Nevada at dawn. Keep a book handy.

Cell service drops out throughout most of the state and doesn’t come back for a long time.

Donner Pass gets 34 feet of snow each winter

The train climbs out of the Nevada desert and into the snow-covered Sierra Nevada. You pass through Donner Pass, where the Donner Party got stranded in the winter of 1846-47.

Donner Lake sits below the tracks, and you can look down at it from the train as you cross above. Snow sheds built starting in the 1870s still protect parts of the track from avalanches.

The summit here averages 34 feet of snow a year, and in February, you see every bit of it.

The Sightseer Lounge fills fast for a reason

The Sightseer Lounge car has floor-to-ceiling windows and is open to every passenger on the train. Seats are first come, first served, and the car fills up fast during the Colorado and Sierra stretches.

Winter crowds are smaller, though, so you can grab a spot and hold it for hours. The lounge sits in the middle of the train with a cafe on the lower level for snacks and drinks.

Sit on the south side for the best overall views along the route.

Pack patience because winter weather runs the schedule

Heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada and the Rockies can cause delays that sometimes stretch for hours.

Over the past year, the Zephyr’s on-time performance has averaged around 54 percent.

There’s no Wi-Fi on the train, and cell service disappears through the mountains and desert. If you booked a sleeping car, meals in the dining car are included.

Coach passengers can buy food at the cafe.

Build some extra time into your plans on both ends, because winter weather doesn’t wait for your connecting flight.

Ride the California Zephyr from Chicago to the Bay Area

You can ride the full route or just a piece of it. The Zephyr departs daily from both Chicago Union Station and Emeryville, Calif, with about 34 stops in between.

If you don’t have time for the full trip, the Denver to Glenwood Springs segment takes about six hours and covers the best mountain scenery.

Coach tickets between major cities typically run $100 to $200 one way, while roomettes cost $400 to $700 per person with meals included. A connecting bus links Emeryville to San Francisco and Oakland.

Book through the official website or by calling 1-800-872-7245.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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