While most people visit the Grand Canyon in the spring, summer, or fall, some adventure seekers choose to go by train to the South Rim in the winter. This is one of the Grand Canyon Destination’s tours you cannot miss. The Grand Canyon Train tour has the best of everything: a cozy car in which to see the snowy scenery and nice old-fashioned entertainment.
Grand Canyon Train
The Grand Canyon Train features a daily run to the South Rim, beginning daily at 9:30 AM. The train departs from Williams, Arizona, a town located 30 miles west of the city of Flagstaff. The train journeys on to the South Rim, located in Grand Canyon National Park. It arrives daily at around 11:45 AM just in time for lunch.
The total distance is 65 miles, and the trip takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes each way. That is 45 minutes quicker than the first train trip to the South Rim in 1901. If you cannot stay overnight at one of the park’s hotels, you can spend a few hours in the park exploring and enjoying the views. The train leaves the Grand Canyon Depot at 3:30 PM and arrives back in Williams at 5:45 PM in the evening in time for dinner.
Four Classes of Train Service
When you take the train, you can choose from four different classes of service, each with their own unique settings and benefits. You can choose from Coach, First Class, Observation Dome, or the train’s Luxury Parlor. The train is a great way to take a day trip during a Christmas or New Year’s holiday. Riding the train from Williams to the Grand Canyon and back again is certainly a memorable holiday excursion.
Of all the Grand Canyon Destination’s tours, this one ranks high on the list of fun and uniqueness. Let’s take a look at a typical train ride in the winter time. After departing the Williams’ station, everyone settles back for the 2.5 hour journey. Outside, you may see snow clouds breaking up or gathering, and condensation on the window from the previous night’s snow.
If it is sunny, the droplets look like sparkling diamonds in the winter sunshine. If you choose a dome car, you can walk and get some exercise by visiting the seating in the lower level of the train. Coach car and dome riders are entertained by local musicians. The entertainers also travel to the train’s observation car to share their music there as well.
In the winter, you might not spot a lot of Grand Canyon wildlife. Instead, you are likely to see grazing cattle on your train ride. The scenery boasts expansive fields against a serene blue backdrop that continues during most of the journey. However, when you come near to the South Rim, things begin to change.
Beautiful to Behold
At this point, you start entering a landscape marked by gorges and lovely pine trees – especially beautiful to behold when sprinkled with a dusting of snow. The observation car is the car to ride if you want to be the closest to the station once you detrain on your Grand Canyon trip.
The shortest your train will ever get is three cars representing four classes. Grand Canyon country, which is the main draw on Grand Canyon Destination’s tours by train or bus, is located in a place known as the Colorado Plateau. Most of this part of the canyon is at a 5,000-foot elevation. However, the plateau that covers Williams and the Grand Canyon by train is about 7,000 feet. The San Francisco Peaks, which is the highest point in Arizona, sits at an elevation of more than 12,600 feet.
These high elevations can be a challenge to navigate for train engineers – in fact, so difficult that the San Fe Line trained engineers, for many years, on how to manage these trips operating steam locomotives.
When you arrive at the South Rim, you can choose to take one of the pre-arranged Grand Canyon Destination’s tours in the park or stroll along the rim and enjoy lunch during your three-hour layover. You can also do about the same thing if you choose to go by luxury bus, taking one of the Grand Canyon bus tours from Las Vegas.
You Can Also Take a Luxury Coach from Vegas
One of the premier travel providers that hosts these kinds of trips is Grand Canyon Destinations. If you are planning to visit Las Vegas in the near future, you will want to contact Grand Canyon Destinations about their day trips to Grand Canyon National Park and the South Rim or to Grand Canyon West, a part of the canyon owned by the Hualapai tribe.
If you choose to visit Grand Canyon National Park and the South Rim, you will see many lovely standing trees- especially festive to view when adorned with winter snow. Many people like to take photographs of the trees in the winter for this reason.
You Cannot Help but Feel Inspired
When you see the trees against the backdrop of pinkish and golden rock faces, you cannot help but feel inspired. Seeing the trees causes a certain poem to come to mind. The first line, which was penned by poet Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918) reads – “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree,” and ends – Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”
A Good time to Take Pictures
Seeing those snowy trees also causes you to notice the snow on the spiny leaves of desert plants such as aloe vera and yucca. Observing these plants places a different kind of spin on the winter holidays.
If you take the train, you will need to head back to the depot around 3:15 PM. During the winter, the sun lowers more quickly in the sky, and therefore the light is great for taking pictures.
If you see snow in the morning during your Grand Canyon winter train trip, you probably will enjoy dry, cool, and sunny weather by the time you leave. This is a good time to book a seat in the observation car, and enjoy the outside view on the platform. In the shadier spots along the track, the snow is slower to melt.
Because of the curving track, you can take great photos of your train, when standing on the train’s observation deck. One thing about traveling round trip is that if you miss a great picture on the way to the park, you can catch an even better shot coming back.
Just an account of another wonderful ride on the Grand Canyon Train and an end to a one-of-a-kind escape.
About Grand Canyon Destinations
REMARKABLE GRAND CANYON EXPERIENCES
Grand Canyon Destinations is family-owned, offering authentic local experiences at affordable pricing. We provide a lens into the Southwest that’s unlike any landmark excursion you’ve experienced before. We are the only Las Vegas-based bus tour company that does not use a check-in terminal. This allows for you to utilize our direct pickup system straight from your Las Vegas Strip or Downtown hotel. Convenient right?
We know that we provide the best Grand Canyon tour from Las Vegas because of our commitment to our guests. We have convenient hotel pickups as well as included stops along your trip for food and restroom breaks. Join us to witness the wonder of the Grand Canyon. With a tour company who cares about you, you will have a great experience from start to finish.
