Canyon Spirit
“Rockies to the Red Rocks”
Denver → Salt Lake City
- 910 km along the track
- 4 stops
- 24 commentary points
- 2 overnight stops
Over the Continental Divide through the Moffat Tunnel and down the canyons of the Colorado River, with nights in Glenwood Springs and Moab, then across the Utah desert and over Soldier Summit to Salt Lake City.
Stop Overnight stop Commentary point
Legs
| From | To | Distance | On the train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | Glenwood Springs | 296 km | about 9 h 30 min |
| Glenwood Springs | Thompson Springs (for Moab) | 266 km | about 5 h 30 min |
| Thompson Springs (for Moab) | Salt Lake City | 347 km | about 9 h |
Approximate scheduled times. Check the timetable with the operator before you travel.
Things to know
- Canyon Spirit - until 2025 this train was Rocky Mountaineer's American route. It now runs under its own name, with the same glass-domed coaches.
- Two or three days - the train travels only by day. Passengers spend the nights in hotels in Glenwood Springs and Moab; the two-day trip ends at Moab, and the three-day trip carries on to Salt Lake City.
- Moab - the railway doesn't reach Moab. The train stops at Thompson Springs, about an hour's drive north, and a coach takes passengers into town and back.
- Time zone - Colorado and Utah both keep Mountain time, so clocks don't change on this route.
- Altitude - inside the Moffat Tunnel the line reaches 2,816 m (9,239 ft). Drink water and take it easy on the first day if you're sensitive to altitude.
- Freight first - the line belongs to Union Pacific and the train can be held for freight trains, so arrival times are approximate.
Ride it with Rail Passages
All 24 commentary points on this route, triggered by GPS and readable offline.
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GPS may not be available everywhere. Tunnels, deep canyons and some rail cars can block the signal. The app estimates where the train is for a few minutes from its last speed, but cards may come late until the signal returns.