Verde Canyon Railroad

This is a commercial tourist train, included here because its line is part of the valley's copper history. Santa Fe Railway opened the track in 1912 as a branch linking the Clarkdale smelter and Jerome's mines with the main line at Drake, and it owned the line until 1988. David Durbano then bought it, and passenger excursions began in 1990 between Clarkdale and Perkinsville under the Verde Canyon Railroad name. Freight still uses the track beyond Perkinsville.

The trip is a 40-mile round trip along the Verde River that takes three and a half to four hours. Between milepost 30 and Perkinsville, most of the land along the right-of-way lies in the Prescott and Coconino national forests, and the railroad says much of the canyon can be seen only by rail. The train crosses bridges and passes through a curved tunnel about 680 feet long. Passengers have seating in climate-controlled cars and can use open-air viewing cars. Bald eagles and herons are the wildlife the railroad advertises, but sightings aren't guaranteed.

The locomotives are EMD FP7s, built in 1953 for the Alaska Railroad and painted with an eagle livery. The depot complex includes a small railroad museum in a boxcar. Pets aren't allowed, and bags are limited to one standard backpack per person. Manual wheelchairs can be accommodated, with advance notice. Cancellations more than 48 hours before departure get a 90 percent refund; later ones get none.