Rocky Mountaineer Rockies to Red Rocks Canada Colorado Utah
The iconic Rocky Mountaineer ventures south of the border for its first US itinerary.
Mike Hannifin is never lost for words. Around every twist and bend on the two-day rail journey on the Rocky Mountaineer through Colorado and Utah, our ebullient host regales us with fascinating, hilarious and touching stories. The Colorado native recounts with glee the location of his first kiss (deep inside the Moffat Tunnel outside Denver); points out where the iconic Caribou Ranch Studio turned out hit after hit from Billy Joel, Carole King and Elton John, and shares his seemingly bottomless knowledge about the region’s geology and history.
Launched in August 2021, the 570km Rockies to the Red Rocks is the first US itinerary for the iconic Canadian rail company and connects Denver with Moab in Utah, with an overnight stop at Glenwood Springs, just north of Aspen. For Hannifin, the journey is a chance to introduce guests to his beloved southwest. Indeed, you get the feeling the route is as much a passage through Hannifin’s own history as it is an exploration of the remote wilderness. But even though he appears to know every landmark before we happen upon it, there are some things even he can’t anticipate.
It’s the first morning on the train, and after welcome cocktails have been sipped and a hot breakfast devoured, the guests in our carriage are gazing at the soaring Colorado mountains where horses stamp their feet in the grassy foothills, breathing out frosty plumes.
It’s smooth and whisper-quiet inside the train and my seat mate has her phone up to the window, recording the scenery as we glide past. Suddenly we spy two hikers by the side of the tracks, bending over, trousers at their ankles, giving us what’s known as a mountain wave. “Oh my,” Hannifin exclaims, not missing a beat, “it’s a rare double moon.” For those who missed the display, my fellow passenger delights in rewinding the footage time and again so everyone can view the cheeky salute.
Thankfully, the scenery from here on is more predictable and picturesque. I’m travelling in autumn, at the tail end of the train’s April to October season when grasslands glow in the morning sun, and bands of Aspen are ablaze with burgundy, maroon and gilded hues. The sky is a piercing blue and the carriage, with its glass domed roof, is bathed in light as we curve through canyons carved by the majestic Colorado River, winding its way to the Pacific Ocean.
Gold and silver were first discovered here in the 1860s, and railroad lines crisscrossed Colorado, connecting canyons and high passes with mining camps. But when the transcontinental railroad bypassed Denver in 1869, locals took matters into their own hands and built a track to connect to the main line. When the Rocky Mountaineer began looking for a unique route in the US, the track between the Rockies and red rock country in Utah offered everything the company is known for – spectacular scenery, untouched wilderness and incredible feats of engineering.
Previous guests on the Rocky Mountaineer’s Canadian routes may spot several differences, especially those familiar with GoldLeaf service. Most notably, SilverLeaf is the only class available on this US itinerary, which means the train is single level, there’s no separate dining room and the open-air vestibules are considerably smaller. If you upgrade to SilverLeaf Plus, however, you’ll gain exclusive access to the lounge car (and with it, an open bar), greater options of local wines and spirits with meals and hors d’oeuvres.
Despite all the meals being served at your seat, there’s still an air of elegance. White tablecloths are laid and for the two breakfasts and three-course lunch I have on-board, there are plentiful options. While the generous dishes use produce from local farms, some lack finesse and flavour, with breakfast dishes veering into overly sweet territory.
More successful was the array of US wines, beers, spirits and liqueurs on offer, particularly emphasising Colorado winemakers, craft brewers and artisans. A gin and tonic featuring the Woody Creek Roaring Fork gin from Basalt in Colorado has soaring notes of lemongrass and orange, and is the ideal accompaniment to the majestic scenery.
On the first day we travel for eight hours, snaking through towering cliffs, red sandstone canyons and along valleys flushed with autumnal gold. On the mighty Colorado River, we spy flyfishermen, their fishing lines catching the breeze like a spider’s silk thread. In a field ringed by mountains, a lone coyote lopes away from the train and a bald eagle glides on thermal currents high above.
The day is nearly in shadow as we travel deep into the rugged Glenwood Canyon. Scrub oak flank the tracks, their yellow leaves are almost like candles lighting our way. We arrive in Glenwood Springs, a wild west frontier town turned wellness destination due to the Yampah (a native Ute term meaning “big medicine”) mineral spring that bubbles from the earth. Hannifin tells us the charming town is particularly special to him as the site of his marriage proposal in 1995.
After all the food on the train, no one has much appetite, but the Riviera Supper Club comes highly recommended, so we try some of their excellent appetisers. The baked French brie with house-made jam, toasted slivered almonds and crostini is a standout. Our accommodation for the evening is at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, and given it’s just metres away from the famed open-air hot springs pool, I go for a dip in the crisp night air. A local tells me snow will start falling in the next few days. Soaking in the thermal waters, which hover around 40C, is the perfect end to the day.
Back on the train the next morning, we travel through an artist’s palette of colours. As the sun rises over the canyons, the sky blushes pink. A brace of deer crosses a crystalline river, their brown velvety antlers just above the waterline. The landscape of sheer red rock and cobalt desert sky dwarfs the train as we pass tumbles of crimson boulders.
Nearing the Colorado-Utah state line, we skirt around Mount Garfield, a peak that reaches more 2000m. Its base is so rocky and barren Hannifin can’t resist quipping from the back of the carriage, “That’s where they filmed the first moon landing.”
We continue to mirror the turns of the Colorado River through Ruby Canyon until the distant soft curves of the La Sal mountains become more defined.
All too quickly, our journey is over. We disembark just outside the small town of Moab and on to waiting buses to explore two of Utah’s famous natural wonders – Arches and Canyonlands national parks. But before we do, Hannifin gives everyone a warm handshake. You get the feeling that as he heads back east, he’ll be regaling passengers about the time, not far from here, that he saw a rare double moon in broad daylight.
In the know
Rocky Mountaineer’s two-day Rockies to the Red Rocks route runs April-October between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah, with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs; from $2398 with options to add non-rail extensions to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.
Lindy Alexander was a guest of Rocky Mountaineer.