08/15/2026
Overall, I really enjoyed my Canyon Spirit train journey from Salt Lake City to Denver. The service onboard was excellent, and the staff did a wonderful job taking care of us throughout the trip.
The food was good, with two choices offered for each meal. I wouldn't say the food was the highlight of the trip, but overall, I thought it was very good for a train journey.
The scenery definitely changes along the route. From Salt Lake City to Moab, there is a lot of desert landscape. While the red rocks, different colors, and rock formations were beautiful, I realized that desert scenery just isn't my favorite.
For me, the best part of the journey was from Glenwood Springs to Denver. I absolutely loved the Colorado mountains, and the scenery through this portion of the trip was beautiful. This was definitely my favorite day.
One thing I didn't love was the temperature inside the train. In the mornings, our cabin could be freezing cold. Then, when we stopped on the tracks to allow another train to pass, the air conditioning wasn't operating and the cabin warmed up pretty quickly. Canyon Spirit is aware of the temperature fluctuations and is working on better regulating the cabin temperature.
Would I take Canyon Spirit again? Yes, I would. It was a very nice experience, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it firsthand.
My next train journey, though, would probably be Rocky Mountaineer, Canyon Spirit's sister company in the Canadian Rockies. After realizing how much I loved the mountain portion of this trip, I think traveling through the Canadian Rockies would be absolutely beautiful—and that one is definitely going on my list!
