Trails & Rails Program
Heritage Appreciation during Your Train Ride
Trails & Rails is an innovative partnership program between the National Park Service and Amtrak, providing rail passengers with educational opportunities that foster an appreciation of a selected region's natural and cultural heritage. It also renews the long tradition of connecting railroads with National Parks.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, railroads played an active role in developing America's national parks, encouraging vacationers and long-distance travelers to take the train to these highly sought-after destinations.
Through the program, Amtrak passengers can connect to public lands and engage in a better understanding of the need to preserve and protect these special natural and cultural resources. As an example of this philosophy of stewardship in action, rail travel to parks and protected areas provides a fuel efficient and environmentally friendly way to visit public lands.
| National Trails & Rails Snapshot (Fiscal Year 2012) |
|
| Volunteers in Trails & Rails Program |
691 |
| Volunteer hours donated to Trails & Rails (NPS) |
34,101 |
| Amtrak Passengers Participating in Trails & Rails Programs |
450,161 |
| Programs Presented to Passengers |
1,876 |
The Trails & Rails programs are as diverse as the volunteer rangers presenting the programs. On any given route you may hear the stories of the area or have an opportunity to closely examine artifacts that relate to the route. On some programs you may find musical offerings, or rangers dressed in living history costumes or historical attire.
| Train |
Route Segment
To/From |
Participating National Park Service Area |
| Adirondack |
Croton Harmon, NY - Albany- Rensselaer, NY
|
Roosevelt - Vanderbilt Mansion National
Historic Site |
| |
Saratoga Springs, NY - Westport, NY |
Saratoga National Historical Park |
| California Zephyr |
Grand Junction, CO - Denver, CO |
Intermountain Regional Office |
| Capitol Limited |
Cumberland, MD - Washington, DC |
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park |
| City of New Orleans |
New Orleans, LA - Greenwood, MS |
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park |
| Crescent |
Atlanta, GA - New Orleans, LA |
Martin Luther King National Historical Park |
| Coast Starlight |
Seattle, WA - Portland, OR |
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park |
| |
Santa Barbara, CA - San Luis Obispo, CA |
Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail |
| |
Santa Barbara, CA - San Jose, CA |
Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail |
| Empire Builder |
Seattle, WA - Shelby, MT |
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park |
| |
Havre, MT - Minot, ND |
Nez Perce National Historical Park - Bear Paw National Battlefield |
| |
St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN - Columbus, WI |
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area |
| |
Williston, ND - Havre, MT |
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site |
| |
Williston, ND - Malta, MT |
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site |
| |
Minot, ND - Havre, MT |
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site |
| |
Minot, ND - Malta, MT |
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site |
| Heartland Flyer |
Norman, OK - Ft. Worth, TX |
Chickasaw National Recreation Area |
| Lincoln Service |
St. Louis, MO - Springfield, IL |
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial |
| |
Springfield, IL - Chicago, IL |
Lincoln Home National Historical Site |
| Maple Leaf |
Albany-Rensselaer, NY - Syracuse, NY |
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor |
| Missouri River Runner |
St. Louis, MO - Kansas City, MO |
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial |
| Southwest Chief |
La Junta, CO - Albuquerque, NM |
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site |
| |
Chicago, IL - La Plata, MO |
Texas A&M University Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences |
| Sunset Limited |
New Orleans, LA - Beaumont, TX |
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park |
| Texas Eagle |
San Antonio, TX - Ft. Worth, TX |
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park |
| |
Chicago, IL - Springfield, IL |
Lincoln Home National Historical Site |
| Wolverine |
Chicago, IL - Niles, MI |
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore |
| |
New Buffalo, IL - Chicago, IL |
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore |
