30 day Amtrak national railpass trip

[Keyworx]

Hi

I am about to take a trip using a 30 day Amtrak national rail pass in the northern part of the USA, starting in NY and going west on the northen route (through Montana) terminating in SF then back east via the route going through Colorado.

I am specifically interested in hiking in breathtaking landscapes and wish to minimize my stays in large cities or any developed areas.

I suppose the optimal planning process should be first identifying those train stations stops to disembark at in order to reach a worthwhile hiking trail, then identify a hiking area, national park nearby or any magnificent wilderness, then back on the train route for the next stop in which attractive hiking is available. I can take hiking trips that are longer than a day trip and include camping out.

Detailed info such as personal experiences, where to stop for my purpose, as well as any print/ online references would be greatly appreciated. All I could find in print so far is a book ny John Pitt and it has just a short paragraph on each stop and some dry info.

Thanks

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

If you're interested in hiking, I would highly recommend stopping at Glacier National Park, which is right along the Empire Builder, the train through Montana. The link above will take you to the National Park Service's website on Glacier, and includes maps that show the hiking trails and campsites.

Another possible hiking spot is Crater Lake National Park, which is 60 miles from the Klamath Falls stop on the Coast Starlight, the train that you'll take from Portland, OR, to San Francisco. I don't know what kind of transportation options there are from the station to Crater Lake, but the NPS website does have a link to one of the local county tourism offices. If you contact the tourism office, they should be able to help you find something.

 

[gswager]

If it's not too late to change your mind since it is south of Sacramento, CA. If you take San Joaquin train to Merced, then "Amtrak bus" will take you to Yosemite National Park. It may be crowd at parking areas, but the futher away from that place on hiking trail, you'll find solitary. Here's the info on Yosemite.

On VIA Rail, excellent place to hike is at Jasper National Park.

As an experienced backpacker, be sure to check to see if backpacking/hiking permits are required. Some may be months in advanced.

 

[keyworx]

Thanks a lot for the information and suggestions. This is exaclty what I was looking for. Glacier Park and Crater Lake are now on my route as well as Yosemite.

It seems like the weather in Glacier is still cold in May. I will be traveliing in May. I was thinking now to start the trip by crossing west on the southern train route, via Colorado, visit Yosemite and Crater lake then return east through Montana and visit Glacier, in hope the weather would be better the closer to the summer I get there. Would that be a better plan?

 

[gswager]

You can hike from Winter Park if you're riding on CA Zephyr or private owned Ski Train. There's a ski resort right next door.

That'll work out good to start with southern route.

In case you didn't know about 30 day North America Rail Pass. One segment required you to travel through Canada.

I've heard that several hikers use Dunsmuir, CA. It's in Mt. Shasta area.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

It seems like the weather in Glacier is still cold in May. I will be traveliing in May. I was thinking now to start the trip by crossing west on the southern train route, via Colorado, visit Yosemite and Crater lake then return east through Montana and visit Glacier, in hope the weather would be better the closer to the summer I get there. Would that be a better plan?

I visited Crater Lake in May of 2004, and much of the park was still closed due to snow. Glacier is most likely in the same situation. By mid to late May, much of the lower levels of Glacier should be open, but the upper levels, such as the area around the Continental Divide, will still be closed. The NPS websites that I linked to earlier have a lot of information regarding the spring opening schedule.