There aren’t many ski areas in North America that you can access from a major metropolitan area by train, and that’s honestly a damn shame.
Winter Park Resort is one of the few ski resorts that offers a direct-to-mountain ski train service. The service is back this winter and will begin ferrying skiers and riders up to the mountain on January 14, 2022.
The train will run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting the weekend of January 14-16 through April 1-3. One-way fares start at $29 for adults.
Riding the ski train to Winter Park has long been a dream of mine. It’s such a cool concept that I have to make happen one of these days. Check out the full press release from Winter Park below for all of the details.
Are you taking the Winter Express this season?
Amtrak Winter Park Express is back for the 2022 winter season
Weekend service to North America’s “Best Ski Resort” returns January 14 with fares as low as $29
WINTER PARK, Colo. – All aboard the Amtrak Winter Park Express—your ticket between Denver and the base of the slopes at Winter Park Resort—voted North America’s best ski resort and Colorado’s top adventure town. The new season of the “ski train” will be offered each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from the weekend of January 14-16 through the weekend of April 1-3—for a total of 36 roundtrips. One-way fares start at just $29—with kids fares (ages 2-12) from $14.50.
Bring your skis and snowboards as a carry-on for no additional charge. During boarding, the train offers dedicated baggage storage for your gear. While onboard, you’ll enjoy a trip featuring wide, reclining seats with a big picture window, ample legroom and no middle seat.
The Winter Park Express will feature a bi-level Superliner Sightseer Lounge railcar—offering panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains from upstairs and café service with snacks and drinks for sale downstairs. The lounge will be the social hub for the train, offering seating on both levels enroute to the ski resort named “Best in North America” in a USA Today readers’ poll.
Tickets between Denver Union Station (station code: DEN) to Winter Park Resort (station code: WPR) are now on sale at Amtrak.com/WinterParkExpress. The train departs Denver at 7:00 a.m. and arrives at the resort at 9:00 a.m. The return trip departs Winter Park Resort at 4:30 p.m. and arrives in Denver at 6:40 p.m. All times Mountain. Union Station is served by the Regional Transportation District’s commuter trains to and from Denver International Airport as well as light rail, local or intercity buses, ride-sharing services and taxis.
Amtrak also offers group travel reservations aboard the Winter Park Express. Customers in small groups of up to eight people can purchase tickets at Amtrak.com/WinterParkExpress or by using an Amtrak app. Customers in groups of nine to 14 people can call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) to make a reservation. Groups of 15 or more, including requests for exclusive car occupancy, should fill out this form and an Amtrak representative will contact you. For more information about group travel, call 1-800-USA-1GRP (1-800-872-1477) Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. MT.
Lift tickets and other passes can be purchased directly from the resort website or in person. Winter Park Resort is an Alterra Mountain Company property and its Ikon Pass welcomes skiers and riders to a community of inspiring mountain destinations and the people who live and play among them across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Since the partnership between Amtrak and Winter Park Resort began in 2017, nearly 70,000 customers have chosen a reliable, comfortable and scenic train ride to the slopes and avoided frustrating stop-and-go ski traffic on I-70 and U.S. 40.
Those interested in travel to or from Winter Park Resort on other days of the week can ride the Amtrak California Zephyr—operating daily between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay via Denver and Salt Lake City—with service to Winter Park Resort (WPS) via a shuttle connection at Fraser, Colo. Be sure to enter station code ‘WPS’ if you are booking the shuttle.