5 southwest train trips to enjoy fall foliage

TIP: Ask about the special October Pumpkin Train, which includes a visit to — you guessed it —a pumpkin patch. COST: Fares start at $25. Kerrick James / Alamy Stock Photo VERDE CANYON

RAILROAD, CLARKDALE, ARIZONA This four-hour, 40-mile round-trip train ride starts and ends at the Clarkdale Depot and is powered by vintage FP7 locomotives. Not far from Sedona is what

locals call Arizona’s other Grand Canyon, the Verde Canyon, set between the Coconino National Forest and Prescott National Forest. The train offers open-air viewing cars and passenger cars

with panoramic windows. You’ll feel immersed in nature as the route twists along the Verde River through a protected stretch of high desert country featuring red rock buttes, towering canyon

walls and ancient clifftop Indian ruins. In fall, sunlight bathes the canyon walls with a golden sheen, and hues of yellow, orange, red and purple begin to surface among the cottonwood,

sycamore, elder, mulberry and oak trees. ALONG THE WAY: Look for the dramatic Goodding’s willows, native only to Southwestern river ecosystems, which turn blazing orange and gold as the days

grow shorter and the nights cooler. TIP: Scan the sky for bald eagles — an eagle preservation habitat is nearby. COST: Fares start at $109. ERNIE MONTOYA / New Mexico Rail Runner Express

RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO This train zips passengers along a 100-mile corridor from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, past multiple pueblos, ending at the city of Belén on a daily

basis. Considered a commuter train, the NM Rail Runner Express is a low-cost shuttle that offers an easy, convenient way to see the high desert landscape. In autumn, as the sun dips lower

into the sky, an amber glow cloaks the vistas, enhancing the rich browns and red clay colors of the desert and mountains. Cholla cactus and golden yellow chamisa plants dot the desert floor,

while yellow cottonwood trees line creeks. You might even get a glimpse of wild horses near an arroyo. ALONG THE WAY: The scent of roasting chiles permeates the air throughout the towns of

New Mexico, adding an authentic local seasonal element to a vivid train ride. TIP: Adults age 60 and up ride free on Wednesdays. COST: Fares start at $2.50 for a one-way trip. _Gigi Ragland

is a Colorado-based travel and food writer whose work has appeared in _National Geographic Traveler, Hemispheres, Sierra, AFAR, American Cowgirl _and many other publications._ ​