This Is the No. 1 Winter Train in the U.S. — and It Goes Through a Forest, Gorgeous Rock Formations, and Passes by a Waterfall
Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Manitou Springs, Colorado, is a railway that travels up Pikes Peak, one of Colorado’s tallest mountains.
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The Pike's Peak Cog Railway positioned at the Summit of Pike's Peak in Colorado Springs, ColoradoThe image of a train chugging up a snow-covered mountain feels both nostalgic and mythical. Does such a winter train really exist? And if it does, where is it found?
The folks at JR Pass, a rail pass sold by the Japan Railways Group for overseas visitors, commissioned a study to determine the best and most sought-after winter trains in the world. To come up with a list of contenders, they analyzed things like TripAdvisor reviews, Instagram hashtags, and snowfall data. Coming in at No. 2 in the world and No. 1 in the United States was the Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Manitou Springs, Colorado, a railway that travels up Pikes Peak, one of Colorado’s tallest mountains.
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway — aka “The Cog” — has carried travelers to the top of “America’s Mountain” since 1891. The train stops at over 14,000 feet above sea level, where riders can get off and enjoy 360-degree views from the top of the mountain, including sights of the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountain Range. En route to the top, the scenic railway passes through a national forest, cuts through a steep canyon, and travels alongside rock formations and a waterfall. Travelers frequently see elk and deer from the train, and Pikes Peak is home to one of Colorado’s largest bighorn sheep herds.
The team at JR Pass recognized The Cog for its “flawless 5-star TripAdvisor rating” and the number of Instagram hashtags attached to the experience. It was given an index score of 8.28 out of a possible 10, tying it with the Stove Winter Train in Japan's Aomori prefecture. Both trains fell just behind the Canadian Rockies Snow Train, which earned an index score of 8.94 out of 10.
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway is the world’s highest cog railroad. The high-elevation journey is undertaken by a team of little red trains. The full experience takes around 3 hours roundtrip — 1 hour up, 40 minutes exploring the summit, and 1 hour and 10 minutes down — but many people book a one-way ticket so they can bike up or hike down the peak. Tickets start at $59.50 for an adult.
Following the Pikes Peak Cog Railway on the JR Pass list were two other U.S. train rides: the Aurora Winter Train with Alaska Railroad in Alaska and the Polar Express with Adirondack Railroad in Utica, New York.
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