A well-received scenic rail service through the red-rock canyons of the American west will expand its service options in 2026, making it easier to use.
In 2021, the Rocky Mountaineer, which made a name for itself in the luxury vacation business through its all-inclusive scenic rail service in Canada’s Alberta and British Columbia (click here for Frommer’s photo review of that experience), made a splash by adding similarly styled rail journeys in the American Southwest.
That American product, named Rockies to the Red Rocks, takes 2 days (attended by free cocktails, expert narration, and on-board chefs) to meander from Denver, Colorado, to Moab, Utah, which is the rustic hub for national park treasures Arches and Canyonlands.
That itinerary takes a lot more effort and time to do on Amtrak, but Rocky Mountaineer attracts higher-end vacationers seeking a more comfortable way to see America’s rugged desert landscapes. On these trains, fine dining cars take the space that beds would use, so guests spend the night in an upscale hotel in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, between days of sightseeing by rail.
But as novel as that itinerary is, it still requires travelers who end their trips in Moab to either double back to Denver by buying a second ticket on the same train, or to arrange onward road service to get back to a major airport for affordable flights, such as by purchasing an optional excursion to Salt Lake City.
But in April 2026, the service will eliminate that shortcoming by extending the rail journey from Moab all the way to Salt Lake City, which is as convenient as Denver for plentiful flights. As of next year, you won’t have to end or begin your journey in remote Moab and submit to the indignities of champagne-deprived road vehicles to get back home.
Instead, you can refill your flute and press deeper into the desert. The standard Rockies to Red Rocks service will expand to 3 days and begin or end in Denver or Salt Lake City. Hotel overnights will be spent in both Glenwood Springs and Moab.
“The additional day of train travel will traverse the mountain passes of eastern Utah and the open vistas of the Great Basin,” the company announced in a press release.
Service is scheduled once weekly on single-level cars (Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer service uses two-level carriages) in each direction. The season runs from April to November 2026.
Guests who want to spend more time in the national parks will still be allowed to opt for the old 2-day itinerary and begin or end their journey in Moab.
Prices for the 3-day journey will start at $2,123. Considering the 2-day version started at $1,723 this year, the new, expanded journey represents a price reduction of $154 per day. (Still luxury-priced, but still all-inclusive, too, so it’s up to you to see how much of that outlay you can make back in glasses of wine.)
But that’s not the only change coming to the product. The name of the service is also changing to Canyon Spirit. The Rocky Mountaineer moniker will remain the brand of its parent company’s popular Canadian service, although management of both scenic railway vacations will remain in the same hands.
So if you hear someone say they’re planning to take Canyon Spirit to Salt Lake City in 2026, you’re not hallucinating (or on Amtrak). It’s the latest expansion of domestic luxury sightseeing in the United States.
Find out more at its newly launched website, www.thecanyonspirit.com.