California Zephyr With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
Two nights is a long time with a small child, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. But the Zephyr comes in pieces, and the pieces are good: a lift bridge over the Mississippi before dinner, a six-mile tunnel after breakfast on the second day, four canyons by lunch, a hot springs pool at 2:40pm, the Sierra on the third morning, and the bay at the end. My dad rode this train once as a boy and talked about the tunnel for the rest of his life. I took his grandchildren through it. Below is every stop, the ones you sleep through, and the three or four worth getting off for.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Times are approximate from the fall 2026 timetable; checked against Amtrak and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Denver to Winter Park and back.Two hours, the foothill tunnels, the six-mile Moffat Tunnel, and a ski resort on the other side, then the eastbound home at 3:30pm. No night aboard. Jump to Fraser-Winter Park.
- Ages 4 to 8: Denver to Glenwood Springs.Breakfast in Union Station, the tunnel, four canyons, and a hot springs pool a five-minute walk from the depot. Sleep there. Jump to Glenwood Springs.
- The big one: Truckee to Sacramento.Board at 10:35am, climb above Donner Lake, cross the summit, and walk to the best railroad museum in the country by 3:15pm. Jump to Sacramento.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, this is one train a day, so getting off means staying the night; Denver, Glenwood Springs, Reno and Sacramento are the stops worth it. Second, book a Family Bedroom for a family of four: it sleeps everyone, has windows on both sides, and meals are included, which matters over two days. Third, the train runs late, sometimes by hours, especially eastbound; keep the last day's plans loose and the snack bag full. Alerts are on the California Zephyr page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, rooms, what to pack for two nights, the bus from Emeryville into San Francisco, and how the dining car works with a four-year-old are all in our California Zephyr parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Westbound, Omaha through Fort Morgan are passed between 11pm and 6am on the first night, and Provo through Winnemucca on the second. Eastbound the dark stretches are Elko to Provo and Fort Morgan to Omaha. Unless one is your destination, sleep. Denver at breakfast westbound is where the real trip begins.
Stop 1 of 35CHITrain 5 leaves about 2:00pm; Train 6 arrives about 2:40pm
Chicago Union Station
The Zephyr leaves Chicago after lunch, which gives you a whole morning in the city and a first afternoon of Illinois farms before dinner in the dining car. Union Station's Great Hall is the send-off: marble stairs, a skylight the size of a tennis court, and benches long enough to lie on while a parent finds the gate. Eastbound you arrive mid-afternoon with time for the river before dinner.
Walk the platform to find your sleeper's door number, then stand in the Great Hall and look straight up. Two nights start here.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 5 minThe Chicago Riverwalk and the architecture boats.
- 15 minMaggie Daley Park's giant slides and climbing wall, free.
- 15 minMillennium Park and the Bean.
- 10 minWillis Tower Skydeck and the glass ledge, for kids who like heights.
A few hours here
- Morning at Maggie Daley Park and the Riverwalk (2 hours).
- Lunch in the station food court.
- Board by 1:30pm with snacks for two days.
Stay the night
Chicago is a weekend on its own: the Field Museum's Sue, Shedd Aquarium, the Children's Museum at Navy Pier, the L as a ride. Then the Zephyr out of the Great Hall at 2pm.
Snack stop: The station food court; the Riverwalk stands in summer. Buy fruit and crackers for the train before you board.
Out the window: Rail yards, then suburbs, then by Princeton the flat farms that run to the Mississippi.
Union Station has checked baggage and a Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers. Families with small kids are often boarded first; wait near the gate.
Stop 2 of 35NPVWestbound about 2:35pm (pickup only); eastbound about 1:45pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Naperville
A suburban stop 30 minutes out of Chicago, shared with Metra. The westbound train only picks up here, so for a family in the western suburbs this is a shorter drive than the Loop. The DuPage Children's Museum is a five-minute walk from the platform, with a real construction house and a water room, which makes a fine morning before a 2:35pm train.
The DuPage Children's Museum's air and water room, then the train (admission; check hours).
Right off the platform
- at stopA Metra and Amtrak station with a waiting room.
- 5 minDuPage Children's Museum, 301 N Washington St, ages 0 to 10.
- 10 minDowntown Naperville's Riverwalk along the DuPage River, with a covered bridge and a carillon.
A few hours here
- Board here if you live nearby; the museum first, then the platform.
Stay the night
Skip, unless this is your boarding stop.
Snack stop: Downtown Naperville's cafes and ice cream.
Out the window: Suburbs thinning into farmland.
Stop 3 of 35PCTWestbound about 3:45pm; eastbound about 12:30pmour honest take: ride on
Princeton
A small Illinois town with a brick depot and a red covered bridge north of town. Pleasant, but not a reason to get off a two-night train.
Count the grain elevators.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room.
- 10 minDowntown Princeton's Main Street.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Corn and soybeans to the horizon.
Stop 4 of 35GBBWestbound about 4:45pm; eastbound about 11:40am
Galesburg
The railroad town of western Illinois, and the one stop before the Mississippi worth a family's time. The Galesburg Railroad Museum sits beside the station with a steam locomotive, a Pullman car and a caboose you can climb into, and the Discovery Depot Children's Museum is a few blocks away. Two other trains a day serve Galesburg, so you can get off here and still get to Chicago without waiting for tomorrow's Zephyr.
The caboose at the Railroad Museum next door, then the children's museum's train room (check hours; the museum is seasonal).
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed station with checked baggage and a waiting room.
- at stopGalesburg Railroad Museum, beside the station, with a locomotive, a Pullman and a caboose (small admission; seasonal, check days).
- 5 minDiscovery Depot Children's Museum, ages 1 to 10 (admission).
- 10 minCarl Sandburg's birthplace cottage, a small free site.
A few hours here
- Railroad Museum (45 minutes).
- Discovery Depot (90 minutes).
- Lunch downtown and the Illinois Zephyr or Carl Sandburg back to Chicago.
Stay the night
Galesburg Railroad Days in June brings model layouts and equipment to the yards. The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg cover this stop by day; see that trip plan.
Snack stop: Cafes on Seminary Street, a few minutes from the platform.
Out the window: West of Galesburg the farms roll a little, then the bluffs and the Mississippi.
The Galesburg Railroad Museum keeps limited, seasonal hours; check before promising a caboose. Galesburg has checked baggage.
Stop 5 of 35BRLWestbound about 5:35pm; eastbound about 10:30am
Burlington
The first river town. Just before the stop the train crosses the Mississippi on a lift bridge, and the station sits on the Iowa bank with the river out the door. Snake Alley, a brick street that twists down a hill like a ribbon, is a ten-minute walk up from the water. A good stretch stop, and a plain, pretty town for a night if you are breaking the trip.
Everyone at a window for the Mississippi crossing, then the riverfront walk at the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot on the riverfront with a waiting room.
- 5 minThe Port of Burlington riverfront park and a view back at the bridge.
- 10 minSnake Alley, the crooked brick street, and the old downtown up the hill.
- 15 minCrapo Park on the bluff, with a playground and the river below.
A few hours here
- Riverfront and Snake Alley (1 hour), if you are staying the night.
Stay the night
A night in Burlington: Snake Alley, Crapo Park's playground, dinner downtown, tomorrow's train at 5:35pm west or 10:30am east.
Snack stop: Cafes on Jefferson Street downtown.
Out the window: The Mississippi on the lift bridge, right before the stop westbound; then the hills of southeast Iowa.
The westbound arrives at dinnertime and the eastbound at breakfast, so Burlington works better as a hotel night than a pause.
Stop 6 of 35MTPWestbound about 6:05pm; eastbound about 9:55amour honest take: ride on
Mt. Pleasant
A small Iowa town whose depot sits by the Old Threshers grounds, where steam tractors, trolleys and a narrow-gauge railroad come alive over Labor Day weekend. Any other week, ride on.
If it is Labor Day weekend, the steam trains at Old Threshers.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot.
- 10 minThe Midwest Old Threshers grounds and the Heritage Museums (seasonal).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Old Threshers Reunion, Labor Day weekend only.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Iowa farms in the evening light.
Stop 7 of 35OTMWestbound about 7:00pm; eastbound about 9:05amour honest take: ride on
Ottumwa
A river town on the Des Moines River, with a depot beside a convention center and a park on the water. Radar from M*A*S*H came from here, which the grandparents will enjoy more than the kids. Dinner is being served in the dining car about now westbound.
The river from the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA depot with a waiting room, next to Bridge View Center.
- 5 minOttumwa Park along the Des Moines River, with playgrounds.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The Des Moines River, then dusk over the fields.
Stop 8 of 35OSCWestbound about 8:25pm; eastbound about 7:40amour honest take: ride on
Osceola
The stop for Des Moines, which is 50 miles north by car. A small depot, pajamas on westbound, breakfast eastbound.
None. Bedtime, or the first coffee.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark westbound; low Iowa hills at dawn eastbound.
Stop 9 of 35CRNWestbound about 8:55pm; eastbound about 7:00amour honest take: ride on
Creston
A railroad town with a restored 1899 depot that doubles as city hall. Asleep westbound.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1899 depot.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 10 of 35OMAWestbound about 11:10pm; eastbound about 5:10am
Omaha
The biggest city on the first night, and the train passes it in the dark both ways. That is a shame, because the Henry Doorly Zoo is one of the best in the country and the Durham Museum, in the old Union Station right across the tracks, has a soda fountain and real train cars downstairs. If Omaha is where the grandparents live, this is the stop; if not, you sleep through it.
For families who get off: the Durham Museum's trains and its malt shop, then the zoo's desert dome.
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed station with a waiting room and checked baggage, open overnight around the trains.
- 5 minThe Durham Museum in the old Union Station, with train cars, a model railroad and a 1930s soda fountain (admission).
- 15 minThe Old Market's brick streets, candy shops and the pedestrian bridge over the Missouri.
- at stopHenry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, by cab, with the desert dome and the jungle (admission).
- at stopOmaha Children's Museum downtown, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Arrive at 11pm, cab to a downtown hotel, and the Durham Museum in the morning.
Stay the night
Two nights in Omaha: the zoo for a whole day, the Durham Museum and the Old Market the next, and the westbound at 11pm or the eastbound at 5am.
Snack stop: The Old Market has ice cream and bakeries; the Durham's soda fountain serves phosphates.
Out the window: Dark both ways. The Missouri River is crossed just before Omaha westbound.
Omaha has checked baggage and the station is staffed around the trains, late at night. Book a hotel that will hold bags; the Durham does not open until mid-morning.
Stop 11 of 35LNKWestbound about 12:40am; eastbound about 3:30amour honest take: ride on
Lincoln
Nebraska's capital, passed in the middle of the night both directions. The Haymarket station is near a children's museum and the Sunken Gardens, but you will not see them from this train.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station in the Haymarket district.
- 10 minLincoln Children's Museum, daytime only.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 12 of 35HASWestbound about 2:20am; eastbound about 1:35amour honest take: ride on
Hastings
Kool-Aid was invented here in 1927, and the town museum has an exhibit about it. Tell the kids at breakfast. The train is here at 2am.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA depot and platform.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 13 of 35HLDWestbound about 3:10am; eastbound about 12:50amour honest take: ride on
Holdrege
A farm town in the small hours.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 14 of 35MCKWestbound about 4:20am; eastbound about 11:45pmour honest take: ride on
McCook
The last stop in Central time, in the dark. The clocks go back an hour between here and Fort Morgan westbound, which is a gift: an extra hour of sleep before Denver.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA brick depot.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the plains begin to tilt upward.
Westbound, set watches back an hour after McCook.
Stop 15 of 35FMGWestbound about 5:45am; eastbound about 8:15pmour honest take: ride on
Fort Morgan
Glenn Miller's hometown, at dawn westbound. The first Colorado stop, with the Rockies not yet in view. Get coffee and claim seats in the Sightseer Lounge; the mountains appear within the hour.
The first sight of the Front Range, a low blue line ahead, somewhere after this stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: The cafe opens early; breakfast in the dining car starts about now.
Out the window: High plains, then the Rockies rising ahead as the sun comes up behind you.
Stop 16 of 35DENWestbound arrives about 7:55am, leaves 8:46am; eastbound arrives about 6:30pm, leaves 7:00pm
Denver Union Station
The big one. The westbound sits in Denver for almost an hour, long enough to walk the Great Hall of the 1914 station and buy a real breakfast, and then it leaves at 8:46am for the best six hours of the trip. Denver is also where a lot of families start: fly in, sleep, and board for canyon day without the first night aboard. The Children's Museum of Denver and the Downtown Aquarium sit together by the river a short cab ride away.
Breakfast in Union Station's hall, then back on by 8:30 with every kid at a window on the left for the climb into the foothills.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall with its long benches, restrooms, restaurants, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopThe free 16th Street MallRide shuttle from the station's front door through downtown.
- 20 minConfluence Park, where Cherry Creek meets the Platte, with a kayak course and a riverside path.
- at stopChildren's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, by cab or the Platte path, ages 0 to 8, with a climbing tower and a real kitchen (admission).
- at stopDowntown Aquarium next door to the Children's Museum, with a tiger exhibit and a flash flood (admission).
- at stopDenver Zoo and the Museum of Nature and Science in City Park, by cab, for a full day.
A few hours here
- Westbound: breakfast in the Great Hall during the stop (45 minutes).
- Eastbound: arrive at 6:30pm and sleep in Denver; the Children's Museum tomorrow.
Stay the night
Fly into Denver, sleep near Union Station, a morning at the Children's Museum and the aquarium, the zoo the next day, then board at 8:46am for Winter Park or Glenwood Springs. The best way to do the Zephyr with a toddler.
Snack stop: Union Station's hall has a bakery and coffee; the Milk Market food hall is a block away.
Out the window: Leaving Denver westbound the train turns into the foothills within 20 minutes, through the first short tunnels, with the city spread out behind on the left.
The westbound stop is scheduled at about 50 minutes, but ask the car attendant before leaving the platform. Union Station has checked baggage, a hotel upstairs and the RTD A Line to the airport.
Stop 17 of 35WIPWestbound about 10:50am; eastbound about 3:30pm
Fraser-Winter Park
The train comes out of the Moffat Tunnel, six miles of dark under the Continental Divide, at the base of a ski resort, and this is the next stop. Two hours from Denver, it is the shortest ride on the whole route that includes the big tunnel, which makes it the best first Zephyr ride with a small child. In winter the Winter Park Express ski train from Denver runs the same tracks on weekends. In summer there is an alpine slide, a gondola and a tubing hill.
The Moffat Tunnel, 6.2 miles, several minutes of black windows. Count slowly, then watch together for the light. The ski lifts are right there when it comes.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter in Fraser, with the free Lift bus to Winter Park Resort and downtown Winter Park.
- at stopWinter Park Resort by bus: the gondola, the alpine slide and the mini golf in summer, skiing in winter (admission).
- at stopFraser Tubing Hill, by bus or cab, for ages 3 and up in winter (admission).
- 10 minDowntown Fraser's cafes and the Fraser River trail.
A few hours here
- Westbound: get off at 10:50am, the Lift bus to the resort, the gondola and lunch (3 hours), and the eastbound back to Denver at 3:30pm. A full tunnel day with no night aboard.
Stay the night
Two nights in Winter Park: the resort's summer park or the ski slopes, the tubing hill, and the train on in either direction.
Snack stop: Cafes in downtown Fraser and at the resort base.
Out the window: Out of the tunnel the train follows the Fraser River through a wide valley of ranches, then drops toward the Colorado River at Granby.
Read the tunnel page from the book the night before. The Winter Park Express ski train is a separate Amtrak train on winter weekends; the Zephyr runs every day.
Stop 18 of 35GRAWestbound about 11:20am; eastbound about 2:55pmour honest take: ride on
Granby
The western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, which is 15 miles away by car at Grand Lake. Without a car, Granby is a platform in a ranching town. With one, it is moose and the Trail Ridge Road.
If you have a car waiting: Grand Lake's boardwalk and the park's Kawuneeche Valley, where moose stand in the willows.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopGrand Lake and the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, by car.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless a car is meeting you.
Stay the night
A Grand Lake night by car: the lake, the boardwalk, the park's west side.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: West of Granby the train meets the Colorado River and follows it, through Byers Canyon and Gore Canyon, where there is no road at all.
Stop 19 of 35GSCWestbound about 2:40pm; eastbound about 11:40am
Glenwood Springs
The best stop on the Zephyr for a family, and the end of the canyon day. The train comes out of Glenwood Canyon, 13 miles of walls up to 1,300 feet high, and stops at a 1904 sandstone depot across the river from the biggest hot springs pool in the world. You can walk there over a footbridge in five minutes. There is also a gondola to a cave and amusement park on the cliff above town, and a second hot springs on the river. Six hours from Denver with no night aboard.
The pedestrian bridge from the depot to the Hot Springs Pool, swimsuits already on under clothes, and two hours in the warm water with the mountains all around.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1904 red sandstone depot with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 5 minGlenwood Hot Springs Pool, across the pedestrian bridge: a huge warm pool, a hot pool, a kids' area and slides in summer (admission).
- 10 minGlenwood Caverns Adventure Park: a gondola from near the Hotel Colorado up to cave tours, an alpine coaster and rides (admission; check age and height limits).
- 10 minDowntown Grand Avenue's ice cream and toy shops, over the bridge.
- 20 minIron Mountain Hot Springs on the river, a quieter second option with a family pool (admission).
- 5 minTwo Rivers Park, where the Roaring Fork meets the Colorado, with a playground.
A few hours here
- Westbound: arrive 2:40pm, the footbridge to the Hot Springs Pool (2 hours), ice cream on Grand Avenue, and a hotel night.
- Eastbound: arrive 11:40am, the pool, and the train the next morning.
Stay the night
Two nights: the Hot Springs Pool the first afternoon, the gondola and the caverns the next day, Iron Mountain or the river path in the evening, and the train on. If you only get off the Zephyr once, get off here.
Snack stop: Ice cream and pizza on Grand Avenue; the pool has a snack bar.
Out the window: Glenwood Canyon is just east of town: the river below, the highway on stilts, the walls going straight up. Westbound it fills the hour before the stop; eastbound the hour after.
The Hotel Colorado and the hot springs lodge are both a short walk from the depot and will hold bags. Check pool hours in winter; it is open year round but closes some evenings for cleaning.
Stop 20 of 35GJTWestbound about 4:35pm; eastbound about 9:45am
Grand Junction
The last Colorado stop, in a town with dinosaur statues on Main Street and a dinosaur museum 12 miles up the road in Fruita. The station is a few blocks from downtown. West of here the train follows the Colorado River into Ruby Canyon, red cliffs that only rafts and trains can see, and that is the thing to be at a window for.
Ruby Canyon, right after the stop westbound: red walls, the river beside the tracks, and no road. Stay in the lounge until Utah.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1906 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 10 minMain Street's Art on the Corner sculptures, including dinosaurs kids can climb on, and a toy store.
- 10 minMuseum of the West downtown, with a Wild West gallery and a lookout tower (admission).
- at stopDinosaur Journey in Fruita, by car, with robotic dinosaurs and real bones being cleaned in a lab (admission).
- at stopColorado National Monument's rim road, by car.
A few hours here
- Main Street dinosaurs and ice cream (1 hour), if you are staying.
Stay the night
A Grand Junction night by rental car: Dinosaur Journey, the Monument's rim drive, and tomorrow's train into Ruby Canyon.
Snack stop: Main Street has ice cream and a bakery.
Out the window: Orchards and the Book Cliffs, then Ruby Canyon's red walls along the river into Utah, all before sunset westbound.
The westbound stop is short; ask before stepping off. Grand Junction has checked baggage.
Stop 21 of 35GRIWestbound about 6:30pm; eastbound about 7:45amour honest take: ride on
Green River
A desert town on the Green River with a river-running museum and the sweetest melons in Utah every September. A dinner-hour platform stop westbound; the view after it, across the San Rafael Swell at sunset, is the reason to stay in the lounge.
The melon stands on Main Street in September, if someone is meeting you with a car.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- 20 minJohn Wesley Powell River History Museum, with a replica of Powell's boat (admission; check hours).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The Book Cliffs, then the San Rafael Swell's bare rock going gold at sunset westbound.
Stop 22 of 35HERWestbound about 7:55pm; eastbound about 6:20amour honest take: ride on
Helper
Named for the extra engines kept here to push trains up Price Canyon, which is a good story for a five-year-old. The Western Mining and Railroad Museum is on Main Street a few minutes away, with a giant miner statue outside. Dusk westbound, dawn eastbound; the museum will be closed either way.
Ask them why a town would be called Helper, then tell them about the pusher engines as the train climbs toward Soldier Summit.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- 5 minMain Street, the Big John miner statue and the Western Mining and Railroad Museum (daytime; check hours).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Price Canyon and the climb to Soldier Summit, in the last light westbound.
Stop 23 of 35PROWestbound about 10:00pm; eastbound about 4:20amour honest take: ride on
Provo
A college town at the foot of the Wasatch, passed at bedtime westbound and before dawn eastbound. The FrontRunner commuter train shares the station.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform shared with FrontRunner.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; Utah Lake is out there somewhere on the left.
Stop 24 of 35SLCWestbound about 11:15pm; eastbound about 3:00am
Salt Lake City
A late-night stop westbound and a 3am stop eastbound, which is unlucky, because the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum is a ten-minute walk from the platform and the Natural History Museum of Utah has one of the best dinosaur halls anywhere. Families who want Salt Lake City get off at 11:15pm, sleep, and take tomorrow's train on. The TRAX light rail stops at the station door.
For families who stay: Discovery Gateway's life-size helicopter and the Natural History Museum's wall of dinosaur skulls the next morning.
Right off the platform
- at stopSalt Lake Central: a station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open around the trains, with TRAX and FrontRunner alongside.
- 10 minDiscovery Gateway Children's Museum at the Gateway, ages 0 to 10 (admission).
- 15 minTemple Square's gardens and the Tabernacle.
- at stopNatural History Museum of Utah, by TRAX and a bus or a cab, with the dinosaur hall (admission).
- at stopHogle Zoo and Red Butte Garden, by cab (admission).
- at stopThe Great Salt Lake at Antelope Island, by car, with bison on the beach.
A few hours here
- Arrive at 11:15pm, a hotel by TRAX, and Discovery Gateway in the morning.
Stay the night
Two nights: Discovery Gateway and Temple Square the first day, the Natural History Museum and the zoo the next, and the 11:15pm westbound or the 3am eastbound (with a very sleepy walk).
Snack stop: The Gateway and City Creek have food courts; nothing is open at 11pm but hotel lobbies.
Out the window: Dark both ways. Westbound the Great Salt Lake's causeway is crossed in the small hours.
Salt Lake Central has checked baggage. Westbound the clocks go back another hour before Elko; eastbound they go forward.
Stop 25 of 35ELKWestbound about 3:25am; eastbound about 8:45pmour honest take: ride on
Elko
The cowboy poetry town, at 3am. The first Pacific time stop westbound.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Westbound, set watches back an hour after Salt Lake City.
Stop 26 of 35WNNWestbound about 6:00am; eastbound about 6:25pmour honest take: ride on
Winnemucca
A Nevada ranching town at dawn westbound. Breakfast in the dining car starts about here, and the Humboldt River and the sagebrush are the view until Reno.
The first light on the desert, with coffee.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Breakfast on the train.
Out the window: Sagebrush, the Humboldt River, long trains of freight cars on the other track.
Stop 27 of 35RNOWestbound about 9:15am; eastbound about 3:30pm
Reno
The train runs through downtown Reno in a trench below street level, and the 1926 depot sits at the top of the stairs a block from the arch. From here the river is a five-minute walk, with a riverwalk, a park on an island and a children's science museum that is one of the best in the West. Reno is the last big stop before the Sierra and a fine place to spend a day on either side of the mountains.
The Discovery's cloud climber and its water table, then lunch on the river at Wingfield Park.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1926 Mission-style depot above the trench, with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 5 minThe Reno arch and the casinos' candy stores, for a look.
- 10 minThe Truckee River walk and Wingfield Park, an island with a playground and a whitewater park where kids wade in summer.
- 15 minThe Discovery (Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum), ages 0 to 12 (admission; closed some Mondays, check).
- 10 minNational Automobile Museum, with 200 old cars and a street scene to walk through (admission).
- at stopLake Tahoe, by car or bus, 45 minutes.
A few hours here
- Westbound: get off at 9:15am, the Discovery (2 hours), the river, and tomorrow's train over the Sierra at 9:24am.
- Eastbound: arrive 3:30pm, the river walk and dinner, the Discovery in the morning.
Stay the night
Two nights: the Discovery and the river the first day, Tahoe by car the second, and the westbound at 9:24am for the Donner Pass crossing in daylight.
Snack stop: The riverwalk cafes; ice cream on the river at Wingfield Park in summer.
Out the window: Leaving Reno westbound the train follows the Truckee River up into the Sierra, with the canyon narrowing and the pines starting.
Reno has checked baggage. The westbound stop is about ten minutes; the depot's stairs down to the trench are steep with a stroller, so use the elevator.
Stop 28 of 35TRUWestbound about 10:35am; eastbound about 2:00pm
Truckee
A mountain town where the platform is the main street. The 1900 depot is a visitor center and a small museum, the shops and ice cream are right across the tracks, and Donner Lake is two miles west. The hour after Truckee westbound is the Sierra crossing: the train climbs above Donner Lake, goes through the tunnel under Mount Judah and drops toward Sacramento. Truckee to Sacramento is the best half-day ride on the western end.
Donner Lake far below on the left as the train climbs west of town, then the two-mile tunnel near the summit. Tell the Donner story to the big kids only.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1900 depot: a visitor center, a small history museum and restrooms. No ticket window; buy tickets online before you arrive.
- at stopCommercial Row's shops, ice cream and cafes, directly across the tracks.
- 5 minThe Truckee River and the river path behind downtown.
- at stopDonner Memorial State Park and Donner Lake, by cab or a 40-minute walk, with a beach, a museum and the Pioneer Monument (park fee).
- 10 minThe Old Jail Museum, summer weekends.
A few hours here
- Westbound: board here at 10:35am for the summit and Sacramento by 3pm.
- Eastbound: get off at 2pm, ice cream on Commercial Row, a cab to Donner Lake's beach, and a mountain night.
Stay the night
A Truckee night: Donner Lake's beach and the state park museum, dinner downtown, and the westbound at 10:35am for the Sierra in daylight.
Snack stop: Commercial Row's ice cream and bakeries, across from the platform.
Out the window: Donner Lake below on the left westbound, then snowsheds and the Mount Judah tunnel at the top, then the long drop through Emigrant Gap with the American River canyon on the left.
Truckee has no ticket window and no checked baggage; tickets are online only. Snow can delay the train here in winter.
Stop 29 of 35COXWestbound about 12:50pm; eastbound about 11:40amour honest take: ride on
Colfax
A Gold Country railroad town with a caboose and a small museum at the depot. Just east of Colfax the train rounds Cape Horn, a ledge high above the American River that the Chinese crews of the 1860s cut by hand. That is the thing to see; the stop itself is a stretch.
Cape Horn, a few minutes east of the stop: the river 1,300 feet down on the left westbound.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a caboose and the Colfax Heritage Museum (weekends; check).
- 5 minColfax's short main street.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: A cafe on the main street.
Out the window: Pines and the American River canyon, then the foothills opening out toward the valley.
Stop 30 of 35RSVWestbound about 2:15pm; eastbound about 10:50amour honest take: ride on
Roseville
The biggest rail yard in the West, miles of freight cars, which a train-obsessed four-year-old will like from the window. The Capitol Corridor also stops here. Nothing to get off for.
The yard: count the locomotives.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform shared with the Capitol Corridor.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Roseville yard, then suburbs, then Sacramento.
Stop 31 of 35SACWestbound about 3:05pm (drop-off only); eastbound about 10:15am
Sacramento Valley Station
The best train museum in the country is a ten-minute walk from this platform. The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento has full-size locomotives you can climb aboard, a sleeping car that rocks like it is moving, and a toy train gallery, and on summer weekends a real steam train runs along the river from the museum's own depot. Old Sacramento's boardwalks and candy shops are outside the door. Many families end the Zephyr here instead of Emeryville, and I understand why.
Climbing into the cab of the giant steam locomotive at the Railroad Museum, then the toy train room upstairs, then a ride on the excursion train if it is running.
Right off the platform
- at stopSacramento Valley Station: a 1926 depot with a big waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with light rail outside.
- 10 minCalifornia State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento (admission; kids 5 and under free).
- 10 minOld Sacramento Waterfront: boardwalks, the Delta King riverboat, candy stores and the Sacramento History Museum.
- at stopSacramento Southern Railroad excursion train from the museum, weekends April to September (fare).
- 15 minCrocker Art Museum's family space (admission).
- at stopFairytale Town and the Sacramento Zoo, side by side in Land Park, by cab or bus (admission).
A few hours here
- Westbound: get off at 3:05pm, the Railroad Museum until close (2 hours), ice cream on the boardwalk, a hotel in Old Sac.
- Eastbound: arrive 10:15am, the museum and the excursion train, and the next day's train.
Stay the night
Two nights: the Railroad Museum and the steam train the first day, Fairytale Town and the zoo the second, and the Capitol Corridor on to the Bay in under two hours whenever you like.
Snack stop: Candy and ice cream on the Old Sacramento boardwalk; the museum has a cafe.
Out the window: The Sacramento River bridge right after the station westbound, then the flat Delta farms to Davis.
The westbound Zephyr only lets passengers off here. The Capitol Corridor, the Coast Starlight and the Gold Runner all use this station, so Sacramento is an easy place to change plans.
Stop 32 of 35DAVWestbound about 3:30pm (drop-off only); eastbound about 9:50am
Davis
A college town with a 1913 depot, a bike lane on every street, and a downtown park five minutes away with a farmers market on Saturdays and Wednesday evenings. The UC Davis Arboretum is a quiet, shady walk with ducks. A pleasant hour if you are getting off; the Capitol Corridor stops here all day.
The farmers market in Central Park on a Wednesday evening or Saturday morning, with the playground beside it.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1913 Mission-style depot with a waiting room.
- 5 minCentral Park and the Davis Farmers Market (Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings).
- 5 minThe US Bicycling Hall of Fame, a small museum downtown (admission; check days).
- 15 minThe UC Davis Arboretum's creek path and redwood grove, free.
- at stopExplorit Science Center, by cab or bus, for ages 3 to 10 (admission; check days).
A few hours here
- Central Park and the arboretum (90 minutes), then a Capitol Corridor train on.
Stay the night
A Davis day: the market, the arboretum, bikes on the greenbelt, and the Capitol Corridor to the Bay.
Snack stop: Downtown Davis has ice cream and bakeries within five minutes.
Out the window: Flat fields and orchards, then the Suisun marsh and the first water at Martinez.
The westbound Zephyr only lets passengers off here. Bring a bike lock if you rent bikes; Davis is the bike town.
Stop 33 of 35MTZWestbound about 4:15pm (drop-off only); eastbound about 9:05am
Martinez
The water stop. Westbound the train runs along the Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay from here, so this is where the book's window page comes true: sit on the right. The station is on the waterfront, with a marina, a shoreline park and a downtown that has a family of beavers living in the creek. John Muir's house is a short cab ride up the hill.
Right-side windows from Martinez to Richmond, with the strait, the ships and the big bridge. Then look for the beaver dam in Alhambra Creek downtown.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station on the water with a waiting room, shared with the Capitol Corridor.
- 5 minThe Martinez waterfront park, marina and fishing pier.
- 5 minDowntown Main Street and the Alhambra Creek beaver viewing spot near Escobar Street.
- at stopJohn Muir National Historic Site, by cab, with Muir's house and orchard, free.
- 5 minThe Martinez Museum, small and free (check days).
A few hours here
- Waterfront and the beavers (1 hour), then the Capitol Corridor on.
Stay the night
A Martinez afternoon: John Muir's house, the waterfront park, dinner on Main Street, and any Capitol Corridor train to the Bay.
Snack stop: Main Street's bakeries and ice cream, five minutes from the platform.
Out the window: The Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay on the right westbound: ships, mothballed Navy vessels, the Carquinez Bridge and marsh birds.
The westbound Zephyr only lets passengers off here. The Coast Starlight and the Capitol Corridor also stop at Martinez.
Stop 34 of 35RICWestbound about 4:45pm (drop-off only); eastbound about 8:35amour honest take: ride on
Richmond
A transfer stop with BART on the same platform, which is the fastest way into San Francisco if you are not taking the bus from Emeryville. The Rosie the Riveter home front park is on the waterfront, by car.
The BART train pulling in beside yours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform shared with BART and the Capitol Corridor.
- at stopRosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park visitor center, by car, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, or BART into the city.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The bay on the right, then the Berkeley flats and the Bay Bridge towers ahead.
Stop 35 of 35EMYTrain 5 arrives about 5:00pm; Train 6 leaves about 8:25am
Emeryville
The end of the line, two nights and 2,400 miles from Chicago, at a small station on the east side of the bay with the Bay Bridge in view. San Francisco is across the water, and the Amtrak bus to the Salesforce Transit Center meets every train. Book it with the train. From there it is cable cars, the Exploratorium on a pier, and a carousel in Yerba Buena Gardens.
The Thruway bus over the Bay Bridge with the kids on the right side for the skyline, then the Exploratorium's tactile dome and the fog outside.
Right off the platform
- at stopEmeryville station: a waiting room, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with the Route 99 bus to San Francisco outside.
- at stopAmtrak Thruway Route 99 to the Salesforce Transit Center, about 30 minutes over the Bay Bridge.
- 10 minBay Street Emeryville's shops and restaurants.
- at stopThe Exploratorium at Pier 15 in San Francisco, by bus, for ages 4 and up (admission).
- at stopCable cars from the Ferry Building area, the Ferry Building's food hall and Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39.
- at stopChildren's Creativity Museum and the 1906 carousel at Yerba Buena Gardens, a short walk from the bus (admission).
- at stopGolden Gate Park: the California Academy of Sciences with its rainforest dome and the Koret playground, by bus or cab.
A few hours here
- Arrive 5pm, the bus to the city, dinner at the Ferry Building, and the Exploratorium in the morning.
Stay the night
Three nights in San Francisco: the Exploratorium and the cable cars, Golden Gate Park's Academy of Sciences and the carousel, the ferry to Sausalito. Then the Coast Starlight north or south from Emeryville, or the eastbound Zephyr at 8:25am.
Snack stop: Bay Street has ice cream; the Ferry Building in the city has everything.
Out the window: Arriving westbound the bay is on the right, with the Bay Bridge and the city skyline, then the station.
Emeryville has checked baggage. Book the Route 99 bus as part of your Amtrak ticket; it leaves from the curb outside. The free Emery Go-Round shuttle serves Bay Street and the Emeryville marina.
Six miles of dark, then sunshine
My dad was eight when he rode the Zephyr, and the thing he remembered was not the canyons or the Sierra but the tunnel: how long it was, how his ears popped, how the whole car went quiet and then everyone cheered at the light. I told my kids that story the night before Denver. In the morning my daughter counted to 400 in the dark and gave up, and then the ski lifts appeared and she cheered anyway. He would have liked that.
Next in this series: the Southwest Chief, the other two-night train west from Chicago, over Raton Pass to Los Angeles. From Emeryville the Coast Starlight runs north to Seattle and south to Los Angeles, the Capitol Corridor shares the last stops back to Sacramento, and the Pacific Surfliner is the train in the book. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
California Zephyr trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville?
About 52 hours, two nights aboard. Train 5 leaves Chicago at about 2pm and arrives in Emeryville at about 5pm two days later; Train 6 leaves Emeryville at about 8:25am and arrives in Chicago mid-afternoon on the third day.
What is the best part of the California Zephyr for kids?
The second day westbound, from Denver at 8:46am to Glenwood Springs at 2:40pm: the foothill tunnels, the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel under the Continental Divide, and the Colorado River canyons. The Sierra crossing above Donner Lake on the third morning is the other one.
Which California Zephyr stop is best for a night with kids?
Glenwood Springs. The hot springs pool is across a pedestrian bridge from the 1904 depot, there is a gondola to a cave and amusement park, and the stop comes at 2:40pm westbound after the best six hours of the trip.
Can we ride just part of the California Zephyr with a toddler?
Yes, and you should. Denver to Fraser-Winter Park is two hours and includes the big tunnel; Denver to Glenwood Springs is six hours; Truckee to Sacramento is four and a half hours over Donner Pass. None of them needs a night aboard.
Does the California Zephyr go to San Francisco?
Not by rail. It ends in Emeryville, across the bay, and an Amtrak Thruway bus meets every train and runs to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco. Book the bus with the train so it is on the same ticket.
Which California Zephyr stops should we skip with kids?
All the night stops (Omaha to Fort Morgan and Provo to Winnemucca westbound), plus the small platforms: Princeton, Mt. Pleasant, Ottumwa, Osceola, Creston, Granby, Green River, Helper, Colfax, Roseville and Richmond. The trip is Chicago, Denver, Winter Park, Glenwood Springs, Reno, Truckee, Sacramento and the bay.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak California Zephyr timetable, fall 2026 (Trains 5 and 6), and Amtrak station pages
- Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, Children's Museum of Denver, The Discovery in Reno, California State Railroad Museum, DuPage Children's Museum, Discovery Gateway: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Winter Park Resort and the Lift bus, Truckee-Donner Historical Society (Truckee depot), Durham Museum, and Amtrak Thruway Route 99 for the Emeryville to San Francisco bus
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station and route articles for addresses, station history and the Moffat Tunnel, Donner Pass and Ruby Canyon, cross-checked with Amtrak
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.