Winter Park, Colorado is a popular vacation destination in the Rocky Mountains. There’s skiing and snow tubing in the winter and during the warmer months you can hike, bike, ride the alpine slide, river raft and more. California Zephyr trains stop in Winter Park each day, and there is also a seasonal Winter Park Express train. Learn about each option below.
California Zephyr
A long-distance route, the California Zephyr travels between Chicago and Emeryville, California. Train stations are in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. If your starting destination is elsewhere, you’ll need to ride more than one train to reach Winter Park.
Chicago is a major transfer point between Amtrak trains, and if you live in California, Oregon or Washington, you can book tickets on the Coast Starlight train to connect with the California Zephyr in Emeryville or Sacramento.
Amenities on this train include an observation car and café that’s open to all passengers. You can also book private accommodations (roomettes and bedrooms) that include meals, coffee and beverages. The less expensive option is unassigned coach seating.
Note that you’ll need to book your tickets to the Fraser/Winter Park Station, which has a free shuttle to downtown Winter Park and the Winter Park Resort.
Winter Park Express
The Winter Park Express train travels between Denver and Winter Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday during January, February and March. Travel time is about two hours, and you can bring skis with you on the train at no extra cost. Trains return to Denver on the same day at 4:30 p.m. if you don’t want to stay overnight.
This express route stops at a train platform in Winter Park (WPR station) near the ski slopes. Coach seats are the only seating option on the train and there’s a café car if you want to purchase a drink or snack.
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Photo credit: Heath Alseike
Amtrak Guide 