Arizona Train Rides and Excursion Trains

Arizona train rides have a lot to offer depending on what your budget may be. Today, the state is home to about six excursions of some kind, as they are a unique mix of miniature trains (like the Paradise & Pacific Railroad) to one of the most luxurious tourist lines in the country, the Grand Canyon Railway. Most offer incredibly scenic views of the state's desert country with Verde Canyon Railway traveling along the Verde River and through the Verde Canyon. The Grand Canyon Railway, of course, speaks for itself taking travelers right to the front doorstep of the famous National Park. And then there is the chance to the ride the trolley in Tucson. In a lot of ways, it is surprising Arizona has so many tourist trains to offer considering it was never heavily populated with railroads.

Grand Canyon Railway

Address: 233 North Grand Canyon Boulevard, Williams, Arizona 86046

While the line the Grand Canyon Railway operates on today has had a rocky history since the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (the Santa Fe) gave up on its branch to the Grand Canyon in 1974, today the tourist line is one of the most popular excursions in the country with its top-notch services and stunning scenery of the Arizona desert and Grand Canyon National Park. As the popularity of the Grand Canyon Railway has certainly increased over the past twenty years since its inception in 1988 and today, the railroad's fleet of diesel locomotives carry you in a fleet of restored passenger equipment ranging from café and club cars to observations and domes for unparalleled enjoyment and spectacular views. For more information about scheduling a visit to the Grand Canyon Railway please call toll free at 800-843-8724 or visit their website by clicking here.

Old Pueblo Trolley

Address: P.O. Box 1373, Tucson, Arizona 85702

The Old Pueblo Trolley is not so much an excursion train as it is a fully operational trolley system serving University Boulevard and 4th Avenue in Tuscon. Along with the trolley the organization operates buses and also manages the nearby Southern Arizona Transportation Museum. For more information about visiting the trolley or museum please call 520-792-1802 or visit their website by clicking here.

Address: 7301 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85250

The Paradise & Pacific Railroad is located in Scottsdale and is part of the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. The train itself is based from a Colorado narrow gauge railroad and is exactly 5/12 the actual size, carrying passengers on a one-mile trip around the park. For more information about visiting the miniature railroad and park please call 480-312-2312 or visit their website by clicking here.

Superstition Scenic Railway

Address: 4650 North Mammoth Mine Road, Goldfield, Arizona 85210

The Superstition Scenic Railway is an often forgotten tourist railroad located in Goldfield. The railroad itself is a 36-inch narrow-gauge using a Plymouth diesel locomotive retrofitted to appear as a steam locomotive. The railroad operates on about a 1 1/2-mile of track which surrounds the Goldfield Ghost Town. For more information about scheduling a visit to the Superstition Scenic Railway please call 480-983-0333 or visit their website by clicking here.

Verde Canyon Railway

Address: 300 North Broadway, Clarkdale, Arizona 86324

The Verde Canyon Railroad is a tourist railroad operating over ex-Santa Fe trackage in central Arizona, near the very popular tourist destination of Sedona. And like Sedona the Verde Canyon has become a popular tourist attraction itself since it began operations in the early 1990s. Today the railroad offers several different excursions and special trains for visitors and although prices average a little higher than what you might find on other tourist railroads the scenery afforded of Verde Canyon in climate-controlled, comfortable coaches is well worth the cost! So, if you are visiting Sedona, or Arizona in general I would very much recommend a visit to the Verde Canyon Railroad, especially since you can often witness Bald Eagles on the journey and it is the only way to see Arizona's breathtaking Verde Canyon. For more information about scheduling a visit to the Verde Canyon Railway please call toll free at 800-320-0718 or visit their website by clicking here.

Yuma Valley Railway

Address: P.O. Box 10305, Yuma, Arizona 85366

The Yuma Valley Railway has a history dating back to 1914 when it was built by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation as part of a flood control project along the Colorado River. It was leased by the Southern Pacific Railroad for nearly 40 years beginning in 1947 and during the 1980s the remaining trackage became an excursion train. The line was embargoed by the Bureau of Reclamation in 2005 and the equipment still remains idle today.

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