Grand Canyon Railway

The Grand Canyon Railway runs daily from Williams Depot to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, a 103-kilometre journey through ponderosa pine forest and high desert. The trip takes about two and a quarter hours each way, using a mix of historic steam and diesel locomotives depending on the season. It is one of the most atmospheric ways to reach the canyon, arriving at the historic Grand Canyon Village station rather than a car park.

The Williams Depot itself is worth a look — a 1908 building in Harvey House style that once served rail passengers with the famous Harvey Girls. Trains depart in the morning and return in the late afternoon, giving visitors a full day at the rim. The railway also offers evening Polar Express trips at Christmas and special Wild West performances on departure. Book well ahead for summer departures.

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A story
The railway first ran to the Grand Canyon in 1901, when the journey from Williams took nearly three hours. It helped transform the Grand Canyon from a remote geological curiosity into the American Southwest's most visited natural attraction. The line was shut down in 1968 as car travel became dominant, left to rust for 20 years, and then revived in 1989 — the current operators run vintage locomotive trips that closely replicate the original 1901 experience.