Rocky Mountaineer gets new name in U.S. with Salt Lake City expansion

Rocky Mountaineer will be taking on a new name in the U.S. – Canyon Spirit.

In addition, Canyon Spirit will expand its Rockies to the Red Rocks route to include Salt Lake City, Utah, creating a new three-day route connecting Denver and Salt Lake City over three scenic travel days.

The company says the expansion into Salt Lake City will provide greater access to some of Utah’s natural landscapes, providing a compelling third day on the Rockies to the Red Rocks Route.

Canyon Spirit has been operating as Rocky Mountaineer since the launch of its Rockies to the Red Rockies rail route in 2021, and it will transition to Canyon Spirit for the 2026 operating season.

Armstrong Collective is the newly-formed parent company of both Canyon Spirit and Rocky Mountaineer, which has welcomed more than 2.3 million guests over 35 years on its three rail routes in Western Canada.

“We could not be more excited to bring our Canyon Spirit train to Salt Lake City, and to expand our Rockies to the Red Rocks route further into the beautiful state of Utah,” said Tristan Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong Collective, in a press release.  “Although the name of our train is changing, our world-class service and onboard experience will remain the same. Our family and team members all look forward to sharing the beauty of the American Southwest with even more guests from across the United States and around the world.”

The new three-day train journey will include overnight stops in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Moab, Utah.

The Salt Lake City route is available in 2026 and will operate in addition to the existing two-day Rockies to the Red Rocks route, between Denver and Moab.

The additional day of train travel will traverse the mountain passes of eastern Utah and the open vistas of the Great Basin, while connecting to Salt Lake City.

While on board the train, guests are treated to attentive service from onboard hosts, historic storytelling of the areas the train travels through, and dining options that feature locally-sourced and regionally-inspired dishes paired with local beer, wines, and spirits.

The new three-day Rockies to the Red Rocks Extension journey will begin operating on April 21, 2026.

It will travel weekly with one westbound departure from Denver and one eastbound departure from Salt Lake City.

The three-day rail journey, including overnight hotel accommodation in Glenwood Springs and Moab, will start at $2,123 USD plus tax, per person.

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