Local Guide
The Verde Canyon Railroad: Four Hours to a Ghost Town and Back
A 40-mile round trip from Clarkdale into a canyon with no road, what the ride actually involves, when the eagles are there, and why you book it well before you arrive.
September 6, 2026 · The Owners
The Verde Canyon Railroad runs 20 miles up a canyon that has no road in it, from Clarkdale to the ghost town of Perkinsville, and then comes back. Four hours, 40 miles, and the only way to see that stretch of the Verde River without a long walk.
The trip at a glance
| The trip | |
|---|---|
| Depot | Clarkdale, about 45 miles from Prescott |
| Drive | 1 hr 15 from Prescott, add 15 min from Groom Creek |
| Round trip | 40 miles, about 4 hours |
| Turnaround | Perkinsville, a ghost town |
| Usual departure | 1:00pm on standard runs |
| Runs | year round, but not every day |
| Booking | required, and well ahead |
Why the canyon has no road
The line was built in 1912 to haul copper ore out of Jerome, and the canyon it follows was never worth building a road through afterwards. That is the whole appeal. For 20 miles you are looking at red rock, the river, trestles, a tunnel blasted through a limestone ridge and a stretch of country that is otherwise reached on foot or not at all.
The train stops at Perkinsville, the locomotive is uncoupled and run round to the other end, and you return along the same track. The view is different on the way back because you are on the other side of it.
Book it before you arrive
This is the single practical thing that matters. The railroad does not run daily, the days change with the season, and the good dates go. Every year people build a Verde Valley day around it and discover on arrival that there is no train that afternoon or no seat on it.
There are different carriage classes, and the open-air viewing cars are shared by everybody regardless of ticket, which is where most passengers spend the ride.
When to go
Winter for eagles. Bald eagles winter and nest along the Verde, and roughly December to March is when the trains lean on it. They are wild birds, so there is no guarantee, but the odds are real.
Spring for water. Snowmelt has the river running properly and the cottonwoods are in leaf.
Summer is hot. Clarkdale sits around 3,500 feet, roughly 2,900 feet below Groom Creek, so an afternoon that is pleasant at the cabin is well into the 90s at the depot. The open cars have shade but no walls.
Making a day of it
Clarkdale is next to Tuzigoot National Monument, which is covered by the same ticket as Montezuma Castle if you bought one in the last seven days. Cottonwood’s Old Town is five minutes away and is where to eat before or after. Jerome is up the hill above all of it.
Given the four-hour ride and the drive, do not try to add Sedona on the same day. The realistic combinations are set out in day trips from Prescott.
Common questions
How long is the Verde Canyon Railroad ride?
About four hours for the full round trip. The train runs 20 miles from Clarkdale up to the ghost town of Perkinsville, the locomotive runs round to the other end, and it comes back down the same track. Forty miles in total.
Do you need to book the Verde Canyon Railroad in advance?
Yes. It does not run every day, the schedule changes by season, and popular dates sell out. Turning up at the depot hoping for a seat is how people end up not going. Book before you leave home.
Is the Verde Canyon Railroad worth it with children?
It depends on the child. Four hours is a long sit, but the open-air viewing cars mean nobody is stuck in a seat, and moving between the carriage and the open deck is what keeps most children going. Under about five it is a stretch.
When can you see bald eagles on the Verde Canyon Railroad?
Winter is the reliable season, roughly December through March, when bald eagles are nesting and wintering along the Verde River. They are wild birds, so nothing is guaranteed, but the winter trains are the ones marketed on it for a reason.
How far is the Verde Canyon Railroad from Prescott?
About 45 miles to the depot at Clarkdale, an hour and fifteen minutes by road. Add fifteen minutes each way from Groom Creek. With a four-hour ride on top, this is a full day rather than a morning.
Hero photo: Seasider53 / CC BY 4.0
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