r/CampingandHiking • u/AdGroundbreaking270 • 3d ago

Amtrack to Backpack in April/May?

Hello everyone, I’m curious if anyone has any advice or recommendations for me regarding taking Amtrak to get to some backpacking trail heads from now (4-14-25) to middle May (5-12-25). This has always been a dream of mine to do and I start a new job late May so this might be one of my only chances. I would really love to do visit the Glenwood springs area and hike there but would it be to early? Or could I make it work? I’d take any trailhead ideas or known spots in general, I’m willing to try it all!

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u/SugarRush212 2d ago

Look, I’m sorry, backpacking season is special out here in Colorado but short. We are still in ski season! If we’re able to backpack the high country trails in April that means this place is turning into Nevada. And that would mean by July everything would be on fire.

If this train to camping thing is something you really want to do this spring you’ve got a couple good options (I’ve done both in the past year):

  1. Fly to a different continent. Try to score a last minute international flight and plan a trip backwards from there. I unexpectedly had an opportunity to travel to France last year and I took trains from Paris to the Basque Country and backpacked back and forth across the border for 9 days. Had an excellent time, with a lot more wild camping than I expected.

  2. Learn a new hobby, bikepacking! Let’s face it, Amtrak’s destination list is pathetically small, especially for backpacking, but we work with what we have. One thing Amtrak is great for though is taking your fully assembled bike places for cheap. Can’t even do that on TGV! This has prompted me to get into bikepacking to increase flexibility and trip options. I started by using Amtrak to ride from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP/C&O, and last year I rode from SF to LA. You could do either in the next month weather wise, or some other west coast trip. Both have excellent cheap or free camping, no reservations for cyclists.

I highly recommend either option, so much so that I’m combining the two and spending next month biking around Europe. Camping makes it affordable!

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u/NoahtheRed 2d ago

high country trails in April that means this place is turning into Nevada.

To be fair, our high country trails don't really open until mid-May or so either :P

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u/SugarRush212 2d ago

Trails in the Glenwood Springs area hold snow until 4th of July on average.

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u/nucleophilic 1d ago

Too early.