The Most Scenic Amtrak Train Routes In North America, According To Reviews

There are plenty of good reasons to take the train these days — whether you're looking to lower your carbon footprint, avoid the stress of airports and highways, or simply sit back and read, work, or daydream while someone else does the driving. All in all, rail travel offers a slower, more grounded way to take in the incredible beauty of the world as it unfolds around us.

This list of scenic routes focuses primarily on Amtrak's longer, overnight lines and multi-state adventures that carry you through dramatically different geographic regions in a single trip. Although reviews of Amtrak service on these routes are mixed — with passengers mentioning delays, outdated train cars, and inconsistent food quality — previous riders emphasize that the scenery alone makes the experience worthwhile. 

From looking out at canyons to traveling across mountain passes, rivers, and coastlines, long-distance rail in North America requires flexibility and patience, and a willingness to embrace the journey as part of the experience. That said, for travelers who want more comfort on these extended rides, Amtrak offers private roomettes — which convert daytime seating into compact beds at night, and include meals in the dining car — as well as bedrooms and suites on many of their long-distance trains. Additionally, while the spotlight here is on those epic overnight journeys, we've also included four shorter routes that can be completed in a single day.

From Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area, you'll spend a solid 51 hours aboard one of Amtrak's most storied scenic routes, the California Zephyr, carving a path across the heart of the American West and earning a reputation among rail fans as one of the most beautiful train journeys in North America.

As the train climbs toward the Rocky Mountains, you'll traverse towering ridges, deep river valleys, and pass through charming small towns. In fact, Tripadvisor users describe the leg between Denver and the mountains further west as the "majestic" heart of the entire trip. Expect snow-capped peaks and rugged alpine forests. West of Denver, the tracks snake through Glenwood Canyon, carved by the Colorado River's powerful currents against towering cliff walls, and over Gore Canyon's steep rock faces.

Beyond Utah and the high desert, you enter the Sierra Nevada, where the scenery shifts again — alpine lakes like Donner Lake gleam beneath snow-tipped peaks. Not far from this stretch of the route is Lake Tahoe, one of the deepest lakes in the United States. This mountain grandeur eventually gives way to the fertile expanses of California's Central Valley before your final approach into the San Francisco Bay Area, one of California's top tourist attractions.

A whirlwind 35-hour Amtrak journey, the Coast Starlight is regularly cited as one of the most geographically varied rail routes in the U.S. — with volcanoes, forests, and gorgeous coastal panoramas from the Pacific Northwest down into Southern California. As one passenger commented on Tripadvisor: "The views were absolutely stunning. From Northern California through Oregon, Washington [...] the scenery was breathtaking — ocean views, forests, snow-capped mountains (including Mount Shasta), and so much natural beauty along the way." 

Leaving Seattle, the train runs along Puget Sound as it heads south toward Portland and the wine-country plains of the Willamette Valley. Beyond Oregon, the route climbs through the Cascade Range. Keep in mind when booking that westward-facing windows will give coastal views, while eastward-facing windows will give views of Mt. Shasta and Odell Lake, as one passenger noted on Reddit. 

As the train enters California, the terrain shifts to rolling vineyards and farming valleys. Past San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, you'll begin to hug the Pacific Ocean, with long stretches where the sea lies just beyond the window.

Go international on this 10-hour stretch of rail that moves travelers between New York City and Montreal, Canada. In between the dense urban cityscapes, you'll be traveling through the most gorgeous parts of upstate New York in the Hudson River Valley. It's a region known for its fertile farmlands and wineries, as well as its preservation of early colonial American heritage. In fact, it's a Congressionally designated National Heritage Area, with tons of historical and cultural points of interest throughout.

The Adirondack route is especially magnificent in the fall, when the northeastern forests are ablaze in yellows, oranges, and reds. If you depart from New York on a crisp fall morning, you'll see the most stunning views of the river, cliffs, forests, and rolling farmland while there's still sunlight. In the evening, you'll arrive in Montreal just in time to take in the glow of the city's renowned nightlife as it comes into view from a distance, and even check out some of its must-see tourist attractions. 

It's worth mentioning that this trip includes crossing an international border, so you will need to bring an appropriate ID and be prepared to pass through law enforcement checkpoints. This also means there may be delays associated with the process.

You could take a six-hour drive from central to southern California, or you could let someone else take the wheel and have a better chance of relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner is another relatively short ride that doesn't compromise on the views. A nine-hour trek from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, the single-day journey covers 351 miles of golden California coast. Even better, the trains on this route tend to include Amtrak's renowned observation cars, perfect for coastal views.

For much of the journey, you'll be riding right by the water's edge, with a front-row seat to the incoming waves of the Pacific Ocean. During other parts of the journey, set your sights on scenic coastal gem towns, rolling hills, wine valleys, and hidden California beaches perfect for a coastal escape. As one guest noted on Tripadvisor, "The beaches in Del Mar and San Clemente were breathtaking."

An evergreen journey good for any time of year, it's also one of the more popular Amtrak routes, meaning it can get quite full with visitors as well as commuters. Los Angeles is approximately at the halfway point, so if that's your origin or destination, this route is a great option. Reviewers visiting from out of state also noted that Los Angeles' Union Station is easy to access via the LAX FlyAway bus service from the airport.

If you're looking for the most scenic ride east of the Mississippi, previous travelers on Reddit agree this is it. Far from a straight line, this 27-hour route dips in a big smile between New York and Chicago, passing through the heart of the Appalachians that span much of the mid-Atlantic region. On this route, you'll get stellar views of the Blue Ridge Mountains that run all the way from Pennsylvania to Georgia, the Allegheny Mountains that go from Pennsylvania to Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia. 

Specifically, reviewers note that some of the best scenery comes when you move through the New River Gorge area, in southern West Virginia, with views of the New River rapids. The trip also includes a pass under the largest steel arch bridge in the Western hemisphere, and the third-tallest bridge in the U.S.

While travelers have noted that the scenery is amazing, there is often no observation car on the Cardinal route, so you'd better book a window seat. As for timing, it's another route that is at its peak in the fall foliage season. Food on the train can vary between microwavable meals and Amtrak's full menu offerings, and one traveler remarked that, as far as microwave meals go, the mac and cheese is the safest bet.

See the majesty of the rugged Northwest as Lewis and Clark might have, if they'd had a locomotive, aboard the Empire Builder route. If you're departing from Chicago and going west, it's important to note that this route hits a fork in the road in Spokane, Washington. So, when booking, you'll have the option to end in Seattle or Portland. Nonetheless, the trip is roughly 46 hours total, either way.

Along the eastern part of the route, you'll get fantastic views of the Mississippi River and the wide-open skies and plains of eastern Montana and North Dakota. While in North Dakota, keep an eye out for the historic Gassman Coulee Trestle bridge — a picturesque steel bridge that spans more than 1,500 feet and stands about 12 stories tall. The most spectacular views come once you reach western Montana, especially around Glacier National Park, sometimes called the crown jewel of the continent. As one reviewer wrote on Tripadvisor, "The view of mountains, streams, forests and the plains are amazing and seem like they can be touched just outside your window."

Folks have also noted that the Empire Builder route does not have Wi-Fi for large parts of the journey, so be sure to bring a book or some games to keep you busy. That said, the route tends to be very quiet and not crowded, which is a huge bonus when traveling in cars where noise carries easily.

The shortest trip on this list, the Downeaster runs about four hours one-way between Boston and Brunswick. It's a ride abundant in quiet New England landscapes and sleepy coastal towns, tucked in between shorelines and salt marshes. The route follows roughly 143 miles up through eastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and southern Maine, bringing riders into scenic stretches of estuary, rivers, and farmland.

As you leave Boston's urban center, the train dips inland briefly before gradually approaching the Atlantic coast. Just north of Scarborough Marsh, riders can look out over broad wetland expanses where marsh grasses meet tidal channels. Further up the line, the tracks pass close to Old Orchard Beach, where on summer afternoons the Atlantic sits alongside amusement park rides dotting the horizon. You'll also pass by classic New England small towns like Dover and Exeter.

Travelers on Reddit recommend grabbing a window seat on the east side of the train, especially if you want the best view over the ocean and marshes, as the route bends that way. Although it's a pleasant journey in all seasons, folks on TikTok have noted that the trip is extra cozy in winter, as the train is decorated with cheerful garlands and lights while making its way through a serene and snowy winter wonderland. This is also a region with a ton of festive cultural programs and events during the holiday season, and the train is a perfect way to get there.

Running between Chicago and San Antonio, the Texas Eagle route takes about 33 hours, and passengers have the option of continuing through to Los Angeles via a connecting line (see Sunset Limited, below). If continuing on to Los Angeles, it's a whopping 65 hours, and holds the record for the longest passenger train ride in the U.S. at 2,728 miles.

Although reviewers over the last few years have noted deterioration in the quality of the train's accommodations and service, the line received major investments and upgrades in 2025. In addition to adding observation cars to the line, Amtrak also improved the line's on-board dining experience, as well as ADA accessibility for passengers. It also updated its overnight sleeper cars with much needed repairs. One passenger who rode in a renovated roomette wrote on Reddit, "Honestly, the bedroom felt like almost too much space for one person. It truly felt like a luxury to have that much space!"

It's not called the Texas Eagle for nothing — for much of the trip, you will be riding through the heart of Texas, passing through Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and mostly wide open flatlands and remote towns in between. Another major stop is the city of St. Louis, with good views of the iconic Gateway Arch alongside the Mississippi River. However, Redditors like u/Suburbancropcircles and u/diaperedil warn that cell and Wi-Fi service aren't great in some of the more remote regions of the trip.

If you're a fan of desert landscapes, the Sunset Limited is one of two ideal Amtrak routes, with the other one being the Southwest Chief. This journey between New Orleans and Los Angeles is a solid 48-hour ride along the deep south, passing close to the U.S. border with Mexico. You'll get a good view of humid Bayou, into the southwest's arid desert plateaus, and finally southern California's mountains. The Sunset Limited is also part of the optional extension of the Texas Eagle route mentioned above that connects Chicago and Los Angeles, by way of San Antonio.

Some of the most scenic areas along this route are outside of Tucson, Arizona, according to reviewers. The desert here offers views of some of the most beautiful rocky canyons in the U.S., with wide open lands stretching out into the distance for miles on either side. You're guaranteed to get unobstructed views of the sunsets and sunrises, with the glow of reds and oranges the sun casts over the desert sands from the train's observation car.

Compared to other routes, the passengers who rode this line noted in their reviews that the food was "five-stars." However, a number of people noted the frequent and substantial delays that this line seems to encounter. So, it's best to book this route only if you've got a flexible itinerary and aren't in a hurry to get to your destination.

A 40-hour cross-country journey that delivers quintessential American landscapes, the Southwest Chief moves from the heartland to the high deserts and red rock country of the Southwest. Along the way, you'll see sprawling prairies, dramatic mountain passes, and the stark beauty of desert terrain that shifts color as the day wears on.

While parts of the route through the Midwest are more subtle in their scenic drama, the elevated mountain passes and iconic desert expanses give the Southwest Chief diverse topography to enjoy on a lengthy trip. After departing Chicago, the route heads southwest across the Midwest's open plains. 

Then begins one of its most distinctive segments: climbing Raton Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Reviewers on Reddit specifically call out this section along with nearby New Mexico terrain as highlights. Raton Pass and the surrounding high country offer dramatic mountain views not always expected on a transcontinental route. Further west, the desert landscape transitions toward the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert as you descend into California's vast canyons and basins before the final approach into Los Angeles.

While this stretch of the Eastern U.S. is perhaps not as scenic as the Cardinal, it stands on its own merits. The Crescent is a roughly 30-hour journey that spans from the Big Apple to the Big Easy. This route covers about 1,377 miles through 12 states — from the rolling Piedmont and Blue Ridge foothills from Virginia to Georgia through the deep South's forests, small towns, and bayou country. It offers a unique glimpse of America's Eastern and Southern landscapes.

If departing from New York, the dense urban corridor of the Northeast eventually gives way to stretches of wide-open countryside, the Appalachian mountains and valleys, and the Talladega Forest in Alabama. Some passengers found the views "not much to look at" beyond wooded backcountry and kudzu-lined corridors, though others appreciated the quaint towns and historic stations you pass along the way. The approach into Louisiana treats passengers to views across Lake Pontchartrain and the vibrant energy and colors of New Orleans.

Although it tends to be crowded, Amtrak's Cascades route is worth it for the glaciers, waterfalls, and volcanoes that come into view along this 10-hour sweep through the Pacific Northwest — including stops in the two cleanest cities in the U.S., Portland and Seattle. The route connects British Columbia to Oregon in a single-day journey that threads together coastlines, evergreen forests, and snowcapped peaks.

Departing from Vancouver, crossing into Washington State brings broad views that open up around Puget Sound's inlets and tidal flats. South of Seattle, the route hugs stretches of water and marshland where one rider reported seeing an eagle snatch a fish right out of the water. On rare clear days, riders mention catching glimpses of Mount Rainier — a massive, glacier-clad stratovolcano — rising dramatically in the distance

Between Portland and Eugene, the scenery softens into the Willamette Valley, where vineyards, farmland, and distant ridgelines roll by in layered greens. While fog and clouds can obscure the volcanoes in typical Pacific Northwest fashion, when the skies clear, this route delivers a greatest-hits reel of the region's defining topography in just one day. Remember it's an international trip, so be sure to pack the appropriate paperwork to avoid delays.

To begin, we reviewed Amtrak train route maps and detailed line information to gain an initial understanding of the major geographic regions each route traverses, including mountains, rivers, deserts, and coastal areas. This provided a foundation for understanding which of Amtrak's lines offered the most varied and visually interesting landscapes. From there, we consulted curated "best of" lists and travel guides that rank Amtrak routes based on reviews and other features of the journey. To complement these sources, we examined discussions and reviews on online forums such as TripAdvisor and Reddit, as well as YouTube, paying particular attention to comments about the most notable scenery.