Off-the-Rails Adventure

Active Escapes Across the U.S., Traversable by Train, Accessible to All

By Sharael Feist

Ever dream of driving across country?

While it sounds like an exciting rite of passage, the long hours on the road can be draining and tedious. Traveling by train is one alternative way to get from A to B: enjoy the scenery along the way, leave your enraged Monday-morning nemesis stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, read a book, or simply dream about what you'll do when you arrive.

Whether it's skiing Lake Tahoe's world-class powder, mountain biking in the desert at Moab, or kayaking around the Statue of Liberty, we bring you ten things to do if you're traversing the land on the back of the country's rail network.

Having earned her B.A. in journalism, Sharael is the climbing guide for About.com and has been published in Working Woman magazine, Outside Online, and Wired News. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, where she enjoys mountain biking, kayaking, and rock climbing.

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Last Updated: 15 Sep 2010
Published: 27 Nov 2002
The details, dates, and prices mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication.