Most people see the open road when they think of visiting all 50 states and many national parks. But what if your plans don’t involve a long cross-country road trip? It’s possible—and potentially easier, more environmentally friendly, and more fun—to go by rail.
Cross-country train routes
Alicia Rovey of the All Fifty Club, a group of travel enthusiasts who want to visit all 50 states, visited five states with her family on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, which runs between Chicago and Los Angeles. Their trip took them from Kansas City, Missouri, to Kingman, Arizona. “Many routes travel across entire states, so you can appreciate more of the states’ scenery rather than just visiting cities,” says Rovey.
If you’re aiming for all 50 states, one long-distance train worth considering is the Empire Builder, which runs between Chicago and Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, and stops at Glacier National Park. The train also stops in Fargo, North Dakota, close to the state’s tourism bureau that offers a “Best for Last Club” (complete with T-shirt, certificate, and photos) if that state is your 50th.
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Beyond the Southwest Chief and the Empire Builder, other long-distance options include the California Zephyr, which runs between Chicago and Emeryville, California; the Coast Starlight, from Seattle to Los Angeles; the Sunset Limited, from New Orleans to Los Angeles; the Texas Eagle, which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles; and the Cardinal that travels between New York and Chicago.
In addition to the views, the train can provide other benefits: It can be a more cost-effective way to get to national parks (Amtrak offers a USA Rail Pass good for 10 ride segments in 30 days, for example), it can be easier to get to some parks (there are Amtrak stations near national parks), and it can accommodate luggage that might be a challenge in a car or on a plane—such as bicycles or gear for thru-hikes along the Continental Divide Trail.
A historic steam engine train in Colorado that runs from Durango to Silverton. miroslav_1, iStock/GETTY IMAGES
Things to know about long-distance train journeys
Train travel can be a low-stress, sustainable way to achieve visiting all 50 U.S. states while also exploring national parks and other iconic destinations along the way.
While you may still encounter delays, it’s a different experience in several ways: You can pack liquids of all sizes. There are no middle seats. You can walk around. Plus, you don’t need to stop for gas.
If you are traveling to national parks, note the distances between them and train stations. If your hotel isn’t near the train station and there are no cabs at the time you arrive, that can be another challenge—particularly in Amtrak stations in small towns. Fortunately, ride share apps make that scenario easier to manage.
Wi-Fi is available on trains along the Northeast corridor but is not a standard amenity on cross-country trains. Even cell service is not readily available in certain sections of the country, such as along the Empire Builder route in Idaho and North Dakota.
Unplugging means a chance to look out the window, meet fellow passengers, and just enjoy time on the train. “The train trip is part of the experience and part of the vacation,” says Greg Stout, who has written more than 20 books about U.S. railroads.
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Delays can also be part of the experience; an Empire Builder train from Chicago to Seattle this summer was more than 12 hours late. Amtrak runs over freight rail tracks in much of the country, so its trains slot into the schedule around freight trains, and delays can have a ripple effect. (The exception is along the Boston-New York-Washington corridor, where Amtrak controls most of the dispatching.) You’ll want to plan for that if you’re traveling for a time-sensitive event like a job interview or wedding, and to plan a generous window for any connections.
Stout sums up train travel this way: “Most of the time it works; sometimes it doesn’t.”
Environmental benefits of traveling by train
On average, Amtrak says, trains are 46 percent more energy-efficient than driving, and its electric fleet produces 83 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than cars do.
Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Joshua Tree rank among the most polluted national parks in the country. Much of the air pollution in national parks is due to the urban areas near parks, and passenger vehicles around and in the parks make it worse. “Traveling to a park using public transportation can make a difference by both reducing traffic congestion that plagues some parks and helping limit the air and climate pollution affecting them,” says Mark Rose of the National Parks Conservation Association. Some national parks are accessible from Amtrak stations via lower-emission transit options such as the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System.
Trains you can take in other states
While you can take Amtrak through most states in the U.S., it does not offer train service through Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota, or Wyoming, and there is minimal service through Kentucky and Tennessee. But if you find yourself in any of those places, there are trains or train-related attractions in all of them.
In Alaska, several companies offer train travel in the state, including to Denali National Park.
The Hawaiian Railway Society provides train rides through historic areas of Oahu and maintains a toy train museum.
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In Kentucky’s Appalachia region, visitors can ride the Big South Fork Scenic Railway, which runs along the historic Kentucky & Tennessee Railway line.
The 1880 Train is a steam train that travels through South Dakota’s Black Hills, close to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga is one of a few places in the state that offers scenic train rides. Trains are also part of the Nashville commuter rail system.
Cheyenne, Wyoming, which calls itself America’s “Railroad Capital,” is home to several train-related attractions, including the Cheyenne Depot, the Big Boy Steam Engine, and a train ride at the Terry Bison Ranch.
Regardless of where you take the train, perhaps All Fifty Club’s Rovey says it best: “Just board the train and enjoy the ride!”
Sara Clarke is a Washington, D.C.-area writer and editor with a focus on personal finance, lifestyle and travel content. Her work has appeared in publications like Investopedia, NerdWallet, U.S. News, The Associated Press, Business Insider and RD.com, among others. She is the owner of Sara Clarke Editorial and enjoys working from unusual places across the country.