Seasons of Wonder
Every Season is a New Reason to Ride
Verde Canyon Railroad provides a 40-mile roundtrip backcountry adventure through a remote river-carved canyon only accessible by rail. For just under four hours, passengers enjoy comfort and style, exceptional amenities and outstanding service in vintage rail cars that travel a century-old route through a sculpted rock paradise on tracks that parallel the Verde River. Whether it’s a smooth glide through a cool summer night’s breeze, or a brisk foray to gaze at the changing leaves of autumn, Verde Canyon Railroad offers something spellbinding throughout the entire year.
A Train for All Seasons
Verde Canyon Railroad is ideally situated above the heat of the desert and below the cold of the high country, so weather conditions are usually favorable no matter what time of year one travels. The train is a beautiful vantage point from which to enjoy the stunning rebirth of spring, the striking long shadows and gentle rains of summer, the lively colors of autumn or the quiet solitude of winter.
Spring Season Verde Canyon
Rare Blooms Along the Rails
Spring jumps right into your lap aboard Verde Canyon Railroad. A patchwork of color blankets the Canyon floor as high-desert wildflowers are in bloom March through June. The bright blossoms of prickly pear and ocotillo add another dash of color. Mother Nature masterfully showcases her towering cliffs in desert reds with a sapphire sky dancing on their pinnacles. The sparkling green waters of the Verde River embrace the shoreline in a season full of new beginnings. Seeing wildlife and waterfowl in their natural surroundings simply adds to the floral masterpiece.
A rare and endangered bloom seen along the rails is the Arizona Cliffrose. Protected since 1984, this shrub now thrives; its delicate flowers filling the air with sweet scent during spring and early summer. The Verde Valley also is home to its own specific variety of Yucca, Elata Verdiensis, standing as graceful sentinels with their creamy white buds floating overhead. It’s a rare vantage point for wildflower viewing from the open-air car of a train, especially with a Prickly Pear Margarita in hand.
Easter Bunny Express
At the depot on the Saturday before Easter, the wacky wabbit makes a visit to Verde Canyon Railroad to help celebrate the season before the train heads out on the annual Easter Bunny Express. It’s a family affair, featuring a winner-takes-all jelly bean counting contest, along with a scratch-made lunch prior to boarding. Because the long-eared funny bunny is totally engaging, the depot is as entertaining as the train ride for kids of all ages.
Uncorked Wine Festival
May is the month that Verde Canyon Railroad unleashes its Uncorked Wine Festival at the depot every day that the train runs. Visitors can swirl, sip and savor a huge selection of fine wines prior to an amazing train adventure through the beauty of a wilderness sculpted with towering vermillion cliffs. The senses are fulfilled by a wide range of color, nose, notes and lingering finishes paired with the perfect complement: Springtime in Arizona.
Summer Season Verde Canyon
Summer Spectacles
Large canopies of cottonwood, sycamore and mesquite trees envelop the meandering river where a Great Blue Heron can be seen gliding across the waterway. Late summer and early evening thunderstorms drape waterfalls over glistening magenta parapets. Kaleidoscopic rainbows play across a vista capped with bruised monsoon skies, all more visible from an open-air viewing car.
Saturday Starlight Tours
Canyon walls collide with the intensity of a night sky on Saturday Starlight Tours as the engine’s articulating headlight casts a glow across the twilight landscape ahead. In the colorful chasm, daylight diminishes as the western sky burns from a vivid Arizona sunset. Nighttime soon unveils its radiant stars glistening across the evening sky as the chasm’s rock formations take on the illusion of life and movement as the moon peeks around each and every turn, almost like it’s playing hide-and-seek.
Grape Train Escape
Traveling this wild canyon on a summer evening that encompasses daylight, sunset, twilight, starshine and moonglow is even more luscious aboard the popular Grape Train Escape, a wine-tasting affair highlighting different varietals on select Saturday evenings. Sipping vino to the sound of the clickety-clack on the rails takes one back to a time when relaxing train travel was recognized as a hallmark of sophistication.
Fall Season Verde Canyon
Dazzling Autumn Colors
Autumn transforms Verde Canyon into a vibrant tapestry of amber, ginger, and russet hues, creating a breathtaking backdrop for passengers aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad. The crisp, mild air invigorates both travelers and the Canyon’s wildlife, leading to increased sightings of deer, javelina, and coyotes during the cooler daylight hours. The open-air viewing cars offer an unparalleled experience, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in the season’s splendor while enjoying the comfort of adjacent indoor passenger cars. This unique vantage point provides an exceptional opportunity to witness Arizona’s longest-running nature show in all its autumnal glory.
Autumn Cheers & Beers
From mid-September through October, the Ales on Rails party continues with an ode to Oktoberfest under the depot’s outdoor pavilion. Enjoying award-winning craft beers on tap with an appealing burger or pulled pork sandwich prior to boarding is the perfect start to an authentic Arizona adventure.
Fall Color Tours
As the mercury begins its yearly dip, the jeweled tones of autumn magnify the physical beauty of the Verde Canyon. It’s a season of mild temperatures when wildlife becomes more active and visible on the Railroad’s Fall Color Tours. From late October through late November, cameras are drawn to the open-air viewing cars to capture the saturation of golden riparian colors as passengers inhale the earthy richness carried on soft breezes.
Winter Season Verde Canyon
A Winter Wonderland
As golden fall fades into a seasonal slumber, Verde Canyon Railroad’s winter wonderland springs to life. From December through March, mild weather highlights winter in the Verde Canyon when predominantly deciduous foliage fades and the earthly bone structure of the Canyon is on full display.
Winter Season Highlights
- Magical Christmas Journey™
- Eagle Watch
- Chocolate Lovers’ Festival
Magical Christmas Journey™
Nothing can prepare you for the mystical encounter aboard Verde Canyon rails in December. The Magical Christmas Journey™ to the North Pole is an exciting holiday event for the entire family. This festive experience features glowing lights, cheerful décor, and appearances by characters like Flurry and Princess Noel at the lively Bird’s-Eye Village at the Railroad’s depot. Passengers then board a beautifully decorated train that travels through the Magic Tunnel onto Santa’s Secret Rails where canyon critters help guide the train to Santa’s Workshop, Elf Training Center and the Naughty Kids’ Coal Mine, just some of the life-size buildings at the North Pole. Santa boards the train for the return journey, gifting each child with a special treat while creating lifetime memories.
Eagle Watch
From January through March, Verde Canyon is one of the few spots in the Southwest where bald and golden eagles can be viewed in their natural habitat during Eagle Watch. The magnificent birds of prey, along with many other migratory birds, are fully visible from the train. From early winter through late spring, the Canyon’s amazing raptors thrill passengers with their aerobatic courting rituals and hunting proficiency as they play and prey along the Verde River. It’s the perfect season to capture the true essence of Arizona outdoors.
Chocolate Lovers’ Festival
During February, the Railroad embraces Valentine’s Day with its Chocolate Lovers’ Festival by serving a sumptuous plate of delectable confectionaries and desserts tableside to each passenger with a passion for love, romance and mouth-watering nibbles that puddle on your tongue. Specialty drinks, prepared just for romantic moments aboard our train, accompany the masterful display of sweet works of art.
