Verde Canyon Railroad - Clarkdale, Arizona

J D.

An absolutely amazing experience! The Verde Canyon Railroad nature tour is one of a kind. From the majestic views of the valley and mountains to the beautiful Verde River itself.

The train ride was very peaceful with phenomenal customer service. The crew was very knowledgeable about the area and catered to our every need. There is not a better sightseeing tour in Arizona. I highly recommend the Verde Canyon Railroad to any Arizona visitors...natives as well. If you're a nature lover this is the tour for you.

Shane K.

The train leaves from a depot outside Cottonwood and they ask that you arrive two hours early. I don't really understand why as we ended up sitting around for basically an hour and forty-five minutes. There is a plenty of parking across the street from the depot. To kill time you can look through the gift shop and have lunch or a beer/wine. I ate lunch not realizing that we all got a cheese/cracker/fruit/brownie box on the train. The lunch was simple (burgers, chicken tenders, wraps) but good. Everything was about $20 which included a soft drink. Unless you are a big eater and love to snack, I would just eat something small and then enjoy the cheese and crackers on the train.

Anyway, once on the train it's about a 3 1/2 hour ride out and back. The car is very comfortable with sofas to sit on (if you have only two people there are padded chairs) and a bathroom and bar in each car. Drinks are reasonably priced .

The ride was nice and for every two cars there was an outdoor car with a guide giving history and stories. The guide pointed out geology and also told us about the locals past and present that we're influential in the area. The train moves pretty slowly and the ride is very nice. Everyone, including our 11 and 12 year old, had a nice time. It's a bit pricey but worth every penny in my opinion. Highly recommended.

Michelle B.

Lovely four hour train ride through Verde Canyon. The cars are all beautifully updated with comfortable seating and great air conditioning. The food was actually good. We had a champagne toast with charcuterie and also took advantage of the dining discount in the cafe by purchasing online.
The outdoor cars were accessible to all and were a wonderful way to move around and experience the outdoors while on a train. It’s a nice day if you are looking for something to do in the area or if you like trains.

Christy H.

First time experience. We went as a group of 10 and it was excellent. Your seat also gives access to an outdoor seating cart as well. We were able to move from indoor to outdoor as different sites came up. It was a great family experience.

C. E.

Awesome 4 hr train ride for amazing canyon views. The only thing I would change is inside the train cars you can not hear the info given overhead. Then when your guide inside is trying to talk without a microphone you can't hear every word since there is music in the background. The staff is great especially Rob in our Flagstaff Train car.

Klaus L.

The scenic excursion was thoroughly enjoyed by my wife as the canyon showed all its beauty while the train cruised at a leisurely pace of 15mph, giving ample time to see all it has to offer. The seats were very comfortable, and the open cars allowed unrestricted views. For the so inclined one can get a ride along in the cab of the vintage F7 engine for a very unique bucket list experience (which is what I did and it was better than I ever imagined)

Mary B. R.

The train ride was fantastic!
However... you do NOT need to be there 2 hours early.
I highly recommend stopping at the Old Town Cottonwood Main Street shopping area which is literally a 5 minute drive to the depot. Shop in the stores and eat lunch there instead of the depot's snack bar. Getting to the depot 1/2 hr earlier leaves plenty of time to get your tickets and wait for boarding.

I did NOT like the snack bar at the depot and would not recommend it, or eat there again. I pre-paid for 2 lunches only to find out the prices on some of the menu items were cheaper than what the pre-paid ticket price was. The sandwich I ordered was probably one of the worst I've ever seen. It was made with very thick dry bread and I ended up tossing the bread and eating the turkey and fillings. You have to sit outside to eat, there is NO indoor air-conditioned seating, and shaded seating is extremely limited. All the tables were filled with people waiting for the train and we ended up having to sit in chairs directly in the sun to eat our lunch because they were the only ones we could find.

The train ride was fantastic and I would love to go again. The scenery is breathtaking and our in-car attendant was very knowledgable about the history of the region. If you like drinks, I highly recommend the Caramel Whistle Blaster!

Also, the best seats for viewing are the high tables, which seat 2 people each. I recommend requesting seats on that side of the train for the best views.

Jennifer L.

One of the most memorable experiences we’ve had in a long time. Before getting on the train, we bought lunch tickets in advance. Lunch meal was great with plenty of options to choose from. Was able to visit the museum which was so neat to see the history of Jerome and Clarkdale. Views on the train were stunning and loved the history lesson on board. The staff were knowledgable and so pleasant. The complimentary snacks, water bottle, and champagne toast were unexpected. The train car was so authentic it the best part was the open air car. We spent a majority of our time outside in the fresh air seeing the beautiful scenery firsthand. This is a must thing to do. You won’t regret it and you’ll leave in awe!