One Of America's Best-Kept Secrets Is A Train From Chicago To Spectacular National Parks

While you could technically organize a train trip to the best national parks in the American West, piecing together this incredible itinerary would be tedious. Travelers would need to purchase train tickets, rent a car, pay national park entrance fees, reserve each hotel room, and scroll through Yelp for restaurant options in every location, along with hours of other research. 

Instead, you might want to consider booking an all-inclusive tour that incorporates both trains and five national parks. "America's Great National Parks" is a 13-day expedition, operated by the tour company Vacations by Rail, which has been arranging train-based experiences for more than 20 years. For a single price, you get to sample some of the most spectacular landscapes in America, all without lifting a finger.

This itinerary combines train travel with motor coach service, including travel days as well as flexible time spent in each location. The rail travel portion of the trip takes place early on and might seem like it's over quickly, If you'd prefer more locomotives and fewer highways, it's possible to visit 5 of America's breathtaking national parks by train.

The itinerary starts on the Empire Builder, one of the most famous Amtrak routes. It's also one of the five best train rides in North America for unparalleled lake views, according to train enthusiasts. After an overnight journey, travelers arrive in Glacier National Park, Montana, where mountains and ice fields await. Travelers are then driven south to Yellowstone National Park along a motorway that partially parallels the route Lewis and Clark took in the early 19th century, with much of the landscape seeming untouched since those pioneer days. Following two days of geysers, bison, and bubbling mud pits, the next stop is Grand Teton National Park, with its iconic jagged peaks.

Once you've spent a couple of days in Jackson, Wyoming — including a float trip down the Snake River — you'll continue on to a historic way station on the Oregon Trail, followed by a day in Moab, Utah, before the grand finale in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. These sites all share jaw-dropping Southwestern rock formations, deep fissures, and near-limitless hiking trails. After almost two weeks on the road, tour members arrive in Grand Junction, Colorado, where they'll fly home.

The total price for the America's Great National Parks tour was at least $6,195 per person at the time of writing, although prices can exceed $8,000, depending on your departure date and optional upgrades. That said, the itinerary is designed to keep things simple and fluid. All hotel accommodations are included, along with train tickets, coach rides, baggage handling, and national park fees. Several special tours are embedded as well, such as the Swiftcurrent Lake boat cruise and the Snake River float trip. You'll have the chance to travel with a group and rely on a professional tour manager throughout.

Travelers will need to arrange their own transportation to Chicago and from Grand Junction, as these legs are not included in the package. The journey takes place during the warmer months, the end of June through early September, but the climate varies significantly across the western states, which means that it's wise to bring layers and sun protection. Because you'll be using multiple forms of mass transit, it's important to pack your suitcase as efficiently as possible.