Canyon Spirit Train Review: My Salt Lake City to Denver Experience
What It’s Really Like to Travel Canyon Spirit from Salt Lake City to Denver
Three days, two states, incredible scenery—and no, you don’t sleep on the train.
I recently traveled aboard Canyon Spirit from Salt Lake City to Denver, spending three days watching the landscapes of the American West unfold outside my window.
Before the trip, I had already completed Canyon Spirit’s professional training and become a Canyon Spirit TRACKS Specialist. I knew the route, accommodations, service levels and logistics. But there are some things training simply can’t teach you.
Now I know what it feels like to watch Utah’s mountains transition into red-rock country, follow the Colorado River through remote canyons, and eventually climb through the Rockies toward the Continental Divide. I know what the meals are like, how the onboard Hosts add context to what you’re seeing, how dietary restrictions were handled in our group, and what you can realistically experience during the overnight stops.
I also discovered that Canyon Spirit can appeal to far more than train enthusiasts. If you enjoy geology, plants, wildlife, photography, Wild West lore, history, engineering or simply beautiful landscapes, there is a lot to keep your attention. Most importantly, Canyon Spirit isn’t simply transportation between Salt Lake City and Denver.
The journey is the vacation.
Canyon Spirit at a Glance
Route I traveled: Salt Lake City → Moab → Glenwood Springs → Denver
Rail journey: Three days with two hotel overnights
Where you sleep: Hotels in Moab and Glenwood Springs—not aboard the train
Meals: Onboard meals, snacks and beverages included
Luggage: Portage of one suitcase per guest included
Transfers: Transportation between the train and included hotels is provided
Experience I traveled: Signature
Premier: I also toured one of the Premier Lounge cars
My recommendation: If scenery is your priority, choose the complete Salt Lake City-to-Denver journey
My expertise: Canyon Spirit TRACKS Specialist + firsthand experience traveling the full route
What Exactly Is Canyon Spirit?
Canyon Spirit is a premium, daylight-only scenic rail experience through the American West from the same organization behind the renowned Rocky Mountaineer rail journeys.
“Daylight-only” is an important distinction. There are no sleeper cars. Instead, you spend the day traveling aboard the train and get off each evening to sleep in a hotel. The next morning, you return to the train and continue your journey.
That means the rail schedule is designed around something very different from ordinary train transportation: seeing what’s outside.
Large panoramic windows give you expansive views from your seat, while an outdoor viewing area allows you to step outside and experience the landscape without glass between you and the scenery.
Onboard Hosts add another dimension by sharing stories and information about the geology, history, wildlife, railroad and communities along the route.
Meanwhile, meals come to you at your seat.
It’s intentionally slow travel.
Why I Recommend Salt Lake City to Denver
Canyon Spirit itineraries can be traveled in either direction, and shorter versions of the journey begin or end in Moab.
But if scenery is one of your primary reasons for taking Canyon Spirit, I recommend traveling the complete three-day route from Salt Lake City to Denver. That’s the journey I experienced.
What I particularly liked was the progression. We started among Utah’s mountains and watched the landscape transition into red-rock country. From there, we traveled through remote river canyons before the scenery gradually transformed again as we entered Colorado.
Then the final day delivered the Colorado Rockies, Continental Divide and some of the most dramatic mountain scenery of the journey.
Rather than seeing a collection of disconnected destinations, we got to watch the West physically change around us. And that’s something you simply don’t experience when you fly over it.
Day 1: Salt Lake City to Moab
Our first rail day began in Salt Lake City. It didn’t take long for me to appreciate one of scenic rail travel’s simplest pleasures: Nobody has to drive.
If you’ve ever taken a Western road trip, you know the tradeoff. The scenery may be spectacular, but someone in the group has to keep their eyes on the highway.
On Canyon Spirit, everyone gets the view. You can talk, photograph the scenery, listen to the Hosts, enjoy a meal or simply sit by the window and watch.
As we traveled away from Salt Lake City, the landscapes began changing around us. The Hosts pointed out places along the route and shared pieces of history, geography and railroad lore that I likely would have driven past without ever knowing.
By later in the day, we were entering Utah’s unmistakable red-rock country. But arriving in Moab didn’t mean our experiences were over for the day.
An Evening and Morning Adventure in Moab
We had time for a thrilling late-afternoon to sunset 4x4 tour experience (linked at the bottom of this page) through the red-rock landscape.
After spending much of the day comfortably watching the West through a train window, suddenly we were out in the landscape itself. Afterward, we headed into town for dinner.
We also incorporated an early morning visit to Arches National Park in Moab, before our afternoon train to Colorado.This gave us yet another perspective on the geology we had been traveling through.
That combination is one of the things I really enjoyed about this itinerary. Canyon Spirit is slow travel, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a sedentary vacation. You can spend the day relaxing aboard the train and then get off and have an adventure.
And if Moab is especially important to you, I would consider adding extra time rather than trying to fit everything into the included overnight. Additional nights can give you more opportunity for Arches, Canyonlands, off-road experiences, hiking and other activities.
That’s one of the areas where I can customize the basic Canyon Spirit journey around what you actually want to experience.
Day 2: Moab to Glenwood Springs
The second rail day demonstrated one of Canyon Spirit’s biggest advantages over a traditional road trip. The railroad goes places the highway doesn’t. One of the highlights was Ruby Canyon, a remote stretch of red sandstone along the Colorado River. This is the kind of scenery that makes rail travel special because much of it isn’t something most travelers can simply pull over and see from a scenic overlook.
I found myself thinking about the difference between driving and traveling by train. On a road trip, you’re often driving to the scenery. On Canyon Spirit, you’re traveling through it.
As we continued east, we could actually watch the environment changing. The red-rock landscapes of Utah gradually gave way to Colorado, with the train continuing alongside the Colorado River and through areas including De Beque Canyon. Eventually, we arrived in Glenwood Springs for our second overnight.
Soaking in Glenwood Springs
Once again, the overnight stop became part of our vacation rather than simply somewhere to sleep. We had time to soak in the world-famous hot springs in Glenwood Springs. After a full day of watching the Colorado landscape pass outside our train windows, soaking in warm mineral water surrounded by mountain scenery was a pretty wonderful way to end the evening.
That experience reinforced something I'd tell clients considering Canyon Spirit: Don’t automatically think of Moab and Glenwood Springs as hotel stops. They are destinations. How much you can do will depend on your particular arrival time and interests, but there can be opportunities to experience these places rather than simply checking into your room and going to sleep.
Day 3: Glenwood Springs to Denver
If you love mountain scenery, don’t pack away your camera on the final day. Leaving Glenwood Springs, we traveled alongside the Colorado River and through a succession of impressive Colorado landscapes.
This portion of the route includes Glenwood Canyon, Gore Canyon and Byers Canyon as the train makes its way farther into the Rockies.
Eventually, we reached one of the fascinating engineering highlights of the journey: the
Moffat Tunnel. The approximately six-mile railroad tunnel carries the train beneath the Continental Divide. For someone interested in trains, engineering or Western history, features like this add an entirely different dimension to the journey.
Later, we reached another memorable spot at Big Ten Curve, where the railroad’s alignment gives you the opportunity to see the train itself curving through the landscape.
Eventually, the towering mountain scenery began transitioning toward Colorado’s Front Range and our final destination, Denver.
For me, that progression is a major reason I like traveling the route from Salt Lake City toward Denver. The scenery keeps building toward that final day in the Rockies.
Canyon Spirit Is About More Than Pretty Views
I expected scenery. What I didn’t fully anticipate was how many different interests this trip would touch.
Geology
If you love geology, you could spend three days studying what’s outside the window.
Mountains give way to Utah’s red-rock formations. Rivers have carved enormous canyons through the landscape. Elevations change. Rock colors change. The environment gradually transforms as you move from Utah into Colorado.
Traveling at ground level makes those transitions much easier to appreciate than flying between the two cities.
Plants and Wildlife
The vegetation changes, too, reflecting differences in elevation and environment.
And then there’s wildlife. During our trip, we spotted birds, deer, a fox, eagles and jackrabbits. We were also told that bears live around Glenwood Springs, although we did not see any during our visit.
Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, of course, but they give you another reason to keep looking outside.
Wild West Lore and History
There are also stories behind the places you’re passing. If you enjoy bits of Wild West lore, local history and stories about the people and communities that developed along these transportation corridors, the Hosts add context that you would miss if you were simply driving through.
Railroad History and Engineering
And, of course, there are the trains. You don’t have to be a serious rail enthusiast to appreciate what it took to build railroad corridors through this terrain. Tunnels, curves, mountain passes and routes beside rivers become part of the story.
The Hosts help connect these different subjects so that you’re not simply staring at an attractive canyon—you have a better understanding of what you’re actually seeing. That made the journey considerably more interesting to me.
What Is It Like Onboard?
We traveled in Canyon Spirit’s Signature Experience. We had preassigned reclining seats, panoramic windows and onboard Hosts throughout the journey.
There is also an outdoor viewing area, which quickly became one of my favorite places to experience and photograph the scenery. But you don’t need to spend the entire day moving around the train. Much of the appeal is being able to settle into your seat and let the experience come to you.
The scenery changes. The Hosts tell a story. Food arrives. Someone spots wildlife. You step outside for photographs. Then you sit down again and see what’s around the next curve.
I brought plenty of ways to entertain myself. The landscape and hosts did all the work.
What About the Food?
The meals were another enjoyable part of the Canyon Spirit experience. Meals are served at your seat, so your dining-room view changes throughout the journey.
Menus incorporate regional influences and products from businesses along the route, and onboard meals, snacks and beverages are included.
I thought the food was very tasty. The portions weren’t enormous, and I actually appreciated that. We were spending much of the day sitting and enjoying the scenery, with multiple meals, snacks and beverages along the way. I found the portions appropriate for the experience.
Something else impressed me even more: how the culinary team handled dietary needs. One person traveling with us was gluten-free, while another had multiple food allergies. Before meals, the chef personally met with them to discuss what they could eat and frequently created alternatives beyond what was printed on the menu. I even photographed one of the off-menu substitutions.
Vegetarian choices were included on our menus as well. For vegan diets or significant allergies and dietary restrictions, I would communicate my client's needs to Canyon Spirit well in advance rather than make assumptions about what can be accommodated.
We also had plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options, including non-alcoholic sparkling wine for a toast. And for my fellow Texans, I made another important discovery: They have Dr Pepper. It wasn't on the beverage menu.I asked.
Where Do You Sleep—and What Happens to Your Luggage?
When I tell people we spent three days traveling aboard Canyon Spirit, one of the misconceptions I encounter is that we spent three days and nights on the train. We didn't.
Canyon Spirit has no sleeper cars. Because this is a daylight scenic train, you get off in the evening and sleep in a hotel. On our itinerary, that meant overnight stays in Moab and Glenwood Springs.
Canyon Spirit also takes care of some of the logistics that could otherwise make a multi-day rail trip cumbersome. Transfers between the train and your included hotel are provided, including transportation back to the train when it’s time to continue the journey. Portage of one suitcase per guest is also included.
You’ll want to keep whatever you need during the rail day with you, but you aren't responsible for hauling your main suitcase through each transfer yourself. These details may not sound exciting in a brochure. But once you’re actually traveling, they matter.
There’s very little for you to navigate. Someone else handles the transportation, hotel transfer and primary luggage while you concentrate on enjoying the journey.
Signature vs. Premier: I Got to See Both
Although we traveled in Signature, I also had the opportunity as a travel advisor to tour one of Canyon Spirit’s Premier Lounge cars. That was valuable because I can now speak from firsthand experience about Signature while also having personally seen the additional space available to Premier guests.
The particular Premier Lounge I toured had a piano for guest sing-alongs, giving the space a fun, social atmosphere.
I also got to see an afternoon-tea menu. I didn’t personally experience Premier's afternoon tea. After seeing the menu, I admit I wish I had!
Premier provides additional onboard space and amenities, but I wouldn't automatically tell every client to choose the more expensive option. I'd rather look at how you travel, how much time you expect to spend in the lounge, which amenities matter to you and the price difference for your particular departure.
Having traveled Signature and toured Premier puts me in a much better position to help clients make that decision.
Who Would I Recommend Canyon Spirit To?
You definitely do not have to be a train enthusiast to enjoy Canyon Spirit. After experiencing it myself, I think it could be particularly appealing to travelers interested in:
Spectacular landscapes and photography
Geology and the natural world
National parks
Wildlife
Wild West lore and history
Railroad history and engineering
Slow travel
Experiencing the American West without spending days driving it
I also think it can work particularly well for couples, milestone trips, multigenerational families and active older travelers.
Our own experience demonstrated that the trip can balance relaxation with activity.
One evening we were riding ATVs through the red rocks around Moab. Another evening we were soaking in Glenwood Springs' hot springs.
In between, we were relaxing aboard a train watching some of the West’s most spectacular landscapes pass our windows.
If your ideal vacation requires constant activity every minute of the day, this may not be your style.
Canyon Spirit asks you to slow down.
For the right traveler, that’s exactly the appeal.
Make Canyon Spirit Part of a Bigger Western Vacation
I also wouldn't necessarily treat Canyon Spirit as the entire vacation. We spent additional time around Salt Lake City, Park City and Deer Valley before beginning our rail journey. We experienced Arches National Park and a sunset ATV adventure in Moab, soaked in the hot springs at Glenwood Springs and finished in Denver.
Depending on your interests, I may recommend adding nights at one or both ends—or along the route.
And someone flying a long distance to reach Salt Lake City or return from Denver may be much happier adding a night rather than scheduling flights too tightly around the train.
The train can become the backbone of a much larger Western vacation.
Why My Canyon Spirit Experience Matters for My Clients
I’m a Canyon Spirit TRACKS Specialist, which means I completed Canyon Spirit’s specialist training for travel professionals.
But now I've also traveled the full three-day Salt Lake City-to-Denver journey myself.
Those experiences give me two different kinds of knowledge.
Training taught me the product. Traveling it gave me perspective.
I've sat in the Signature seats.
I've eaten the meals.
I've watched the chef work with travelers who had dietary restrictions.
I've experienced the hotel transfers and luggage handling.
I've spent time at the overnight destinations.
I've stood in the outdoor viewing area while the train traveled through the canyons.
I've toured a Premier Lounge.
I've watched the landscape change from Utah to Colorado.
And I've learned which parts of the journey made me immediately reach for my camera—and which moments made me want to put it away and simply enjoy the view.
Those are the details I can now use when helping my clients decide not only whether Canyon Spirit is right for them, but how to make the most of the journey.
Ready to Experience Canyon Spirit?
If you didn't know this kind of premium scenic rail experience existed in the United States, you're not alone.
And if Canyon Spirit is already on your travel wish list, I can help you look beyond simply choosing a departure date.
We can determine which route and direction make sense for you, whether Signature or Premier better fits your travel style, where you should add extra nights and what experiences you might want to incorporate before, during and after the train.
I can also help you consider using airline miles or transferable credit-card points for your flights, particularly if you'd like to make the journey to Salt Lake City or home from Denver more comfortable.
If scenery is your priority, my recommendation is the complete three-day journey from Salt Lake City to Denver.
Come for the train, but don't be surprised if some of your favorite memories happen while watching Utah’s red rocks turn into Colorado river canyons and Rocky Mountain peaks—or after you step off the train for an adventure of your own.
Ready to find out if Canyon Spirit is right for you? Contact Forward Points + Travel, and let's start planning your journey through the American West.
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