This outing has been on my bucket list for a few years now and just recently my husband and I treated ourselves to an afternoon train ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad. It was so enjoyable and scenic! Without hesitation, I’d recommend it for a nice weekend getaway or celebration of a special occasion.
VCRR runs every day this time of year so it’s easy to find a day that fits your schedule and get your tickets on their website. We opted to purchase the lunch add-on and were rewarded with an excellent lunch. Since we arrived early, we enjoyed the meal on the station’s patio as we waited for boarding to begin. Meal options included a variety of sandwiches, a salad, and hot dogs. We ordered pulled pork and a burger and they were great. You can certainly skip their lunch and have your own in town before heading over, if that’s your preference.
Inside the main building where you get your food is a gift shop. There’s also a little historical museum at the depot you can explore either before or after the train ride.
As you’ll see in the photos, the trees are just barely beginning to change. So if you like fall colors, book for a time slot in the next couple of weeks and you will probably have perfect timing. The train ride is about 2 hours up and another 2 back, the train going about 15 miles an hour so there’s plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and enjoy each other’s company.
Seating is assigned and a nice charcuterie plate, water, and a small bottle of champagne are waiting for you when you get to your seat! Each car has its own bartender who’s happy to help you with any additional drinks and snacks (not included in ticket price). Our bartender was Cricket and she was very friendly and kind.
There are rustic outdoor cars too. They were great for getting better views, hearing all the clatter and screech of the train, breathing in the fresh air, and having the staff stationed there share information about the area and the sights you are rolling past. Plus you get to howl as you go through the tunnel!
The trains are clean and well maintained and have bathrooms. The staff and fellow passengers are friendly and good company. Departure and arrival times happen on schedule so as not to interfere with other trains using the same line - Take their advice and plan on arriving with plenty of time so you don’t miss the train!
The train station is in Clarkdale. We left the Surprise area at 9:30 am and made it with plenty of time to arrive safely, eat lunch, and board the train which was set to depart at 1 pm. Other passengers had plans to stay overnight in Cottonwood, which seems like a lovely idea if you wanted to go that route, but our plan was to do this as a day trip. We headed back to the West Valley, put on some great music for the drive, and had our first go with the new flex lanes on the 17. It was a perfect day!
For Information and Tickets: https://verdecanyonrr.com/
Clarkdale Visitors Information: https://www.clarkdale.az.gov/35/Visiting
Cottonwood Visitors Information: https://cottonwoodaz.gov/31/Visiting
Jerome and Sedona are not too far away, as are many wineries in the Verde Valley, including Page Springs Cellars.
