#amusementtrain

National Parks are our most treasured landscapes and what better way to view their astounding beauty than from the luxury and comfort of a passenger train. Train travel is unique in that you can see many vistas not accessible from highway or air. Train vacations in National Parks are even more exciting since many train travel agents offer specific tours to enable you to not only enjoy the passing scenery, but to disembark and experience first hand the natural wonders that make it a National Park.

SEE THE SOUTHWEST FROM THE COMFORT OF THE TRAIN In the tour of the Southwest you can explore three National Parks; Arches National Park, Byre Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. Plus three state parks; Dead Horse Point State Park, Edge of Cedars State Park, and the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. The landscapes you experience on this trip are billed as one of the two most beautiful train rides in the United States.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK BY RAIL It is possible to visit the Yosemite National Park in California by train. Travel there is in double-decker cars, the lower half reserved for those unable to climb the stairs to the upper deck. Train vacations in National Parks are an educational as well as a delightful experience. Yosemite National Park is bordered on the east by the Sierras and Sequoia National Park.

CANADIAN ROCKIES TRAIN VACATIONS No list of train vacations in National Parks would be complete without mentioning the Canadian Rockies Train Vacation. It has been acknowledged as the 'world's leading travel experience by train.' They boost only daylight runs so you never miss the breathtaking scenery. The Canadian Rockies Escape Tour takes you through Jasper National Park, the Chateau Lake Louise and the Banff National Park.

Other Canadian Rockies highlights by train is the Northern Exposure trip, and the Classic Rail Vacation. Some tours travel the new tracks of the Fraser Discovery route as well as the old Kicking Horse rail track. There is a three hour Whistler Mountaineer which takes you for a loop along the ocean shore.