The Long Way
Yavapai County
Visitors look at exhibits inside a museum room with a patterned ceiling and red walls.
Plate I. Museum display, Verde Canyon Railroad. From verdecanyonrr.com
A blue train travels across a wooden bridge in a canyon.
Plate II. Train crossing a trestle, Verde Canyon Railroad. From verdecanyonrr.com
Passengers dine and relax inside a train car with large windows overlooking a rocky landscape.
Plate III. Passenger coach interior, Verde Canyon Railroad. From verdecanyonrr.com
Passengers enjoy meals and drinks inside a passenger train car.
Plate IV. Passenger coach interior, Verde Canyon Railroad. From verdecanyonrr.com
Two people browse inside a gift shop filled with merchandise.
Plate V. Gift store, Verde Canyon Railroad. From verdecanyonrr.com

Verde Canyon Railroad

Clarkdale, Yavapai County, Arizona. Scenic excursion railroad; Every season is a reason to ride.

Details

Map. Clarkdale, Yavapai County, Arizona. Larger map
Where
300 N. Broadway, Clarkdale, AZ 86324. Directions
When
Monthly train schedules highlight departure days, times, and special events.
Fees
Ticket prices vary by month and season; current fares on the operator's train rates page.
Access
Arrive a minimum of 1.5 hours before departure; parking is a short walk across the street from the depot; handicap and bus parking accessible.
Walk-in or reserve
Reservations required and highly recommended; trains sell out well in advance; card charged in full within 24 hours of booking.
Phone
800-293-7245
Established
Verde Valley Railway completed 1912; first Verde Canyon Railroad excursion 1990.

Scenic excursion railroad through Arizona with open-air cars.

Notable Events

  1. 1895The first tracks laid directly into Jerome were the 26-mile narrow-gauge United Verde & Pacific Railway from Jerome Junction. verdecanyonrr.com
  2. 1911Clark financed a 38-mile standard-gauge line from Clarkdale to Drake; 750 men used picks, shovels, and dynamite for one year. verdecanyonrr.com
  3. 1912The line was completed with a 734-foot limestone tunnel and a trestle across a 175-foot gorge. verdecanyonrr.com
  4. 1988Durbano bought the Drake-to-Clarkdale line from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, creating the Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad. verdecanyonrr.com
  5. 1990The first passenger excursion departed Clarkdale on November 23, 1990, carrying people rather than freight or ore. verdecanyonrr.com

People

  • David “Dave” Durbano, Founder of Verde Canyon Railroad (1988).
  • William Andrews Clark, Financier of the Verde Valley Railway (1911).

Sources

  1. verdecanyonrr.com
  2. verdecanyonrr.com/about
  3. verdecanyonrr.com/train-schedule
  4. verdecanyonrr.com/know-before-you-ride
  5. verdecanyonrr.com/train-rides-near-sedona
  6. verdecanyonrr.com/history-of-verde-canyon-railroad
  7. clarkdale.az.gov/158/Clarkdales-History
  8. flagstaffbusinessnews.com/tracks-through-time-verde-canyon-railroad-showcases-history-and-scenery