Spring jumps right into your lap aboard Verde Canyon Railroad. The sparkling green waters of the Verde River contrast and complement the Canyon’s intensely red pinnacles and cliffs during this season full of new beginnings. Passengers are warmed by mild sun and gentle temperatures and clear sapphire skies showcase raptors in their natural surroundings.
A patchwork of color blankets the Canyon floor as high-desert wildflowers are in bloom March through June. Yucca Elata stands as a graceful sentinel throughout the journey, their creamy-white buds floating overhead in harmony with lipstick-red ocotillo flowers cascading down adjacent hillsides. Wildflower viewing from the train provides a rare vantage point, especially while spotting Prickly Pear cactus blooms in the distance while savoring a Prickly Pear Margarita in hand.
Verde Canyon Railroad provides a 40-mile roundtrip backcountry adventure through a remote river-carved canyon only accessible by rail. For under four hours, passengers enjoy comfort and style, exceptional amenities and outstanding service in vintage rail cars that travel a century-old route on tracks that parallel the Verde River. Almost daily, Verde Canyon Railroad carries between 400 and 800 passengers, all without leaving a trace in its unspoiled canyon home. All passengers enjoy luxurious living room-style accommodations with unlimited access to adjacent open-air viewing cars.
On the Saturday before Easter on April 19th, a wacky wabbit makes a visit to Verde Canyon Railroad to help celebrate the holiday before the train heads out on the annual Easter Bunny Express. It’s a family affair, featuring a winner-takes-all jellybean counting contest, along with a scratch-made lunch prior to boarding. Depot visitors enjoy hugs, high fives, keepsake photo-ops and handfuls of candy shared by this totally engaging long-eared funny bunny.
“Rosé All Day”? How about “Rosé All May”? Verde Canyon Railroad’s Uncorked Wine Festival at the Depot is a daily celebration through May. Swirl, sip and savor a selection of fine wines in anticipation of an amazing train adventure through the springtime glory of a red-rock riparian wonderland. The celebration continues to flow aboard the train with an assortment of fine wines for purchase and a complimentary charcuterie tray for each passenger.
May also signifies the start of the Saturday Starlight Tours season, showcasing an awe-inspiring variation of light and color in the Canyon, from daylight to sunset to starlight and moonglow, making it a perfect escape for stargazers every Saturday through October. The Grape Train Escapes, which run in tandem with Starlight Tours, feature new and exciting wines from all over the world, many of which are just debuting in Arizona, the perfect antidote for a fast-paced routine, slowing life down to the rhythm of the rails. The juxtaposition of moonglow around the curves and the flickering of galaxies adds a dash of romance to the iron road during the spring season.
The train’s remote and breathtaking scenery, thoughtful accommodations, charming staff and delicious local flavors check all of the boxes for an authentic wilderness adventure while providing a thrill to all of the senses…especially the sense of adventure. Book online at VerdeCanyonRR.com or call 800-293-7245. We’re just 20 minutes from Sedona and a short two hours north from Pheonix.
For reservations, book online or call 800-293-7245.
It’s not the destination; it’s a springtime journey.
