Riding the Rails to the Rim

One hundred years ago, if you wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, you rode the train. Tourists have been riding the rails to the South Rim since before Grand Canyon became a national park; even before Arizona gained statehood.

In fact, by making it easy for so many people to get there, the railroad helped the Grand Canyon earn its status as a National Park. The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, the railroad which laid tracks all the way across northern Arizona, opened a branch line which carried passengers right to the rim of the Canyon in 1901, and the railroad’s partner, the Fred Harvey Company, built the premiere lodging on the South Rim, the El Tovar Hotel, right next to the depot in 1905, making it practical for thousands of sightseers to travel to this natural wonder. Visitation soared, and only a half dozen years after the railroad arrived, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon to be a National Monument.

For most of the next half century, most visitors who came to the South Rim, arrived on the train. However, fortunes changed after World War II. Automotive touring gained popularity, and those visits in cars came at the expense of rail trips. Ridership on the Grand Canyon Railroad waned, and the Santa Fe finally ended passenger service to the canyon in 1968.

Fortunately for modern travelers, that wasn’t the end of the story. Service on the historic rail line has been resurrected. Once again, visitors can ride the rails to the Grand Canyon, just like people did a century before. A ride on the train today provides for a fun, nostalgic way to visit the park.

Grand Canyon Railroad offers two trains each way each day during the summer (pared back to one daily service in winter) between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim. The service is packaged to provide more than just transportation to the national park – passengers are treated to a themed experience that includes a Wild West show beforehand — but still with a reasonable pricetag. For a little extra, one can upgrade from the coach service and ride in a vista dome car or a luxury parlor car

On a Sunday morning in late May, I drove to Williams, Arizona, to ride this historic treasure. Williams is located along Interstate 40, about a half hour west of Flagstaff, which is where was staying. Williams, known as the last town to be bypassed by Interstate 40, exploits its Route 66 heritage with lots of diners and gift shops, restored to recall the golden era of automobile touring and packed into its walkable downtown area. Just across the railroad tracks is the Grand Canyon Railroad depot, also restored to represent its historical heyday. Williams has done a great job of capitalizing on its history as a transportation hub from two different eras.

Just before 9:00 am, I boarded the train for a day trip to Arizona’s most famous natural wonder. A boxed breakfast was waiting at me seat as I settled in next to the gigantic picture window. The train departed promptly on schedule. From my seat in the dome car I watched the countryside pass by, as the terrain and vegetation gradually changed from the flatland scrub of the Colorado Plateau to a winding route surrounded first by pines and later by spruce and fir as we neared the Grand Canyon.

Passengers in the dome car, are permitted to stand on the open-air platform at the rear of the train, so I spent some time there, too, enjoying the fresh air and watching the rails roll out behind, almost like the wake behind a cruise ship.

The 64-mile journey to the Grand Canyon takes about two hours, and the time passed very quickly. After turning around in the wye to be faced properly for the return trip, we backed in to the historic Santa Fe depot on the South Rim, the same depot that was built in 1901.

For the next few hours, passengers were free to explore the Grand Canyon at their leisure. Some passengers had made reservations for a formal lunch in the El Tovar dining room. Others explored the vistas, museums, and shops in the surrounding Grand Canyon Village. Still others had overnight plans in the park, so they had ridden the today’s train one-way — they would return on a later date.

I opted to walk the Rim Trail all the way to the visitors center, a 2.5 mile stroll, checking out Mather Point and the Yavapai Geology Museum along the way. In normal times, this would a reasonable itinerary, but since my visit was in Covid times, I regretted that choice.

First, the visitor center was closed. Rangers had set up tables to answer questions and distribute literature out front, but there was no access to the permanent exhibits inside due to social distancing restrictions. But my real regret came when I realized that the national park shuttle service was not operating, again due to Covid. I had planned to ride the shuttle back to the train depot, but I ended up having to walk.

Even with the unexpected extra hike, I still had ample time to make it back to the train, in part because I had reserved my return trip on the later train. As I mentioned, there are two trains each way during summer months. However, you are free to mix and match and book whichever suits your needs. Just because you ride the early train up, does not mean that you must return on the early train. The two runs are scheduled only an hour apart, so riding up on the early train and returning on the later train provided me an extra hour in the park.

I also decided to mix it my ticket by buying a different class of service for the return. Although I rode up in the vista dome, I opted for the luxury parlor car for the return to Williams. After the extra walking, the spacious, comfortable seating on cushy furniture and doting service was a welcome relief.

The luxury parlor car, at the rear of the train, featured comfortable seating on period furniture, an open air platform, bar service, and champagne for all guests on the return.

After the train left the national park, the car attendant served a glass of champagne to everyone in the parlor car. The bar in the parlor car also offered a signature drink that they called the Woot-Woot, a delicious combination of vodka and peach schnapps with cranberry juice, that really hit the spot.

My adventure ended as the train returned to the depot in Williams, concluding a visit to one of our country’s crown jewel national parks in style. Most of the park’s other visitors on this Memorial Day weekend had battled heavy traffic and long lines at the entrances, while I was delivered straight into the heart of the park in comfort.

While the experience was delightful, if I had a wishlist, I would wish for Amtrak to restore service to Williams. America’s national passenger train company has a train that passes right through Williams every day on the route between Los Angeles and Albuquerque, the Southwest Chief, but that train does not stop in Williams. How cool would it be if it were possible to make a complete vacation by riding Amtrak to Williams and then hopping on the Grand Canyon Railroad?! As stands, visitors who want to try something similar, must debark Amtrak in Flagstaff and then rent a car to drive to Williams.

But, I can’t have everything. The Grand Canyon Railroad did not disappoint.

Happy Travels!

Daniel Stober
January 15, 2022