Ride The Amtrak Winter Park Express Train

All aboard the Amtrak Winter Park Express, the easiest and arguably the most enjoyable way to travel between Denver and Winter Park.

This is the only ski train in the country that delivers you to the base of a resort. Not a nearby town, not a shuttle connection. The platform sits roughly 100 feet from the lifts. You step off the train, click in, and ski.

2026/2027 Dates: What We Know

The 2026/2027 schedule and fares have not been announced yet. Amtrak has made its announcement in early November for each of the last two seasons, so expect news around then. Watch Amtrak's Winter Park Express page or check back here.

What last season looked like, so you can plan roughly:

57 round trips across the season
Holiday service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday across the last two weekends of December and the first weekend of January
Regular service Thursday through Sunday from early January into late March
Trains served both Winter Park Resort and Fraser
One-way fares started at $9, with kids ages 2 to 12 from $4.50

Ridership has grown every year and the service has expanded accordingly, so expect something comparable or better.

The Schedule

Times have held steady across recent seasons. Confirm against Amtrak once the 2026/2027 schedule is published.

Station	Outbound	Return
Denver Union Station (DEN)	Departs 7:00 am	Arrives 7:05 pm
Winter Park Resort (WPR)	Arrives 9:11 am	Departs 4:35 pm
Fraser-Winter Park (WIP)	Arrives 9:41 am	Departs 4:05 pm

Trip time is roughly two and a half hours each way. To book, use the station codes DEN, WPR and WIP in Amtrak's fare finder, or the Amtrak app.

What It Is Actually Like On Board

Better than you are expecting, and considerably better than I-70.

Coach class means wide reclining seats with a big picture window, generous legroom and no middle seat. You can spread out, nap, read, or just stare out the window, which is what most people end up doing.

The Sightseer Lounge is the whole point. Head upstairs to the bi-level lounge car, where the windows curve up into the ceiling and give you panoramic views of the Rockies. Downstairs there is café service with snacks and drinks for sale. If you sit in your assigned seat the entire way, you have missed the best part of the ride.

The route itself climbs out of Denver and runs through one of the most scenic stretches of the California Zephyr line, including the Moffat Tunnel, a 6.2 mile bore straight through the Continental Divide. There is genuinely no way to see this country by car.

Skis Ride Free

Pack your skis or snowboard and use them as one of your allowed carry-on items at no additional charge. During boarding, gear goes into dedicated baggage storage so the cabin keeps its legroom.

That is a meaningful saving. Airlines charge for ski bags. Amtrak does not.

Why Take the Train Instead of Driving

You skip I-70 entirely. No Berthoud Pass in a storm, no traction law, no white-knuckle switchbacks after a travel day.
No parking to find. Resort lots fill on weekends and holidays.
It is cheap. Recent fares have started around $9 one way, with children roughly half. Compare that to a rental car plus gas plus parking.
Everyone gets to look out the window. Including the person who would otherwise be driving.
Discounted fares are typically available for seniors, students, military personnel and travellers with disabilities. Ask when booking.

Booking Tips From People Who Live Here

Book the moment the schedule drops. This train sells out, weekend departures first. When Amtrak announces in early November, that is your window.

Match your lodging to your station. If you are riding to Winter Park Resort (WPR), book slopeside so you can walk from the platform. If you are riding to Fraser (WIP), book in Fraser or plan to catch the free bus.

Plan the last afternoon carefully. The return departs the resort at 4:35pm, which means your final ski day ends earlier than usual. Either accept a short last day or build in an extra night.

Consider the train one way. Some guests ride up and shuttle back, or vice versa, depending on how their flights land.

Getting Around Once You Arrive

If you take the train, you will not have a car, and there are no rental car agencies in Winter Park. Plan for that rather than discovering it.

The Lift, the free town bus, connects Winter Park, the resort base and Fraser. (970) 726-4163, theliftwp.com. From the Fraser platform, a stop sits just steps away. Buses generally run every 30 minutes in peak season.

One honest caveat: the schedule slips in heavy snow. If you are catching the train home, leave a buffer rather than counting on an exact arrival.

Uber and Lyft are unreliable here. Do not build your week around them. Book local taxis or private drivers in advance, and see our transportation options page.

Travelling Outside Ski Season?

The Winter Park Express is seasonal, but the California Zephyr runs year-round and stops daily at the Fraser-Winter Park (WIP) station. It is Amtrak's Chicago to Bay Area service, so schedules and fares work differently, but it means rail access to the valley in every season.

One More Reason to Arrive the Night Before

New for 2026/2027, lifts open at 8:00am on Saturdays and Sundays from December 5, 2026 through April 4, 2027. The train does not arrive until 9:11am, so if that bonus weekend hour on fresh corduroy appeals, come up the day before and ski from first chair.

Where to Stay if You Are Taking the Train

Arriving without a car changes what makes a good rental. Two straightforward answers:

Riding to Winter Park Resort (WPR): book ski-in ski-out or a Winter Park Resort area property. You can walk from the platform with your bags and never need wheels again.
Riding to Fraser (WIP): look at Fraser and the surrounding area, or the Town of Winter Park with the free bus connecting you.

Browse private homes, condos, townhomes, the Luxury Collection, or homes with a private hot tub.

Every rental has a full kitchen, which matters more when you cannot drive to a restaurant on a whim. Check current lodging deals, lift tickets and passes, and ski rental deals.

Browse all Winter Park vacation rentals or call our local team at 970-722-0707.

Tell us you are coming by train and we will point you to a home you can actually walk to.