California 에서 New York 까지 $ 186 기차 여행 Back in December of 2011 , Derek planned out and embarked on a 3 , 400 - mile trip from San Francisco to New York . The man recognized not only the inexpensive price of this method of traveling , but also the availability . As trains were the backbone of transportation in the ever - growing America , bridging gaps between newly found cities and powering up fresh industries , the legacy of those times was left in a shape of a wide railway network , spreading across all the states . Low chose San Francisco - New York route for its beautiful scenery that he detailed on his journal . He explained that the trip would take 4 days without stopovers , however , he encourages people to make them to get the best out of the trip . Although stopping would mean buying separate tickets for each journey which would increase the cost of the trip , how could anyone resist taking a moment to appreciate the beautiful locations that the United States of America has to offer ? The first leg of his journey was from San Francisco to Salt Lake City . A 17 - hour ride between the cities begins with the view of San Francisco Bay Area , where tranquil waters draw the eye . While it ’ s the last look at the ocean for a long while , the land has views that are just as spectacular to offer . As the train moved inland , rushing through the gloomy fields and bare trees , the scenery changed after a couple of hours . As Derek described it , the view of the window changed from a grey smokescreen into a breathtaking forest as the train entered the Sierra Nevada . The mountain range covers over 24 , 370 sq mi ( 63 , 100 km 2 ) and sits mainly in the state of California , with a small part stretching out into Nevada . Rich in history , the Sierra Nevada is home to many stories , mines and its highest peak , Mount Whitney . But the highest point in the USA is not the only attraction the Sierra Nevada offers , as Yosemite , Sequoia , and Kings Canyon National Parks also lie within the mountain range . Derek Low remarks how an expert from a museum shared a story about the Donner party as they passed the lake of the same name . “ The Donner Party [ … ] were stranded here in the winter of 1846 . Some of the party of 87 resorted to cannibalism ; only 48 survived , ” he recalled . With higher altitudes of the Sierra Nevada bringing snow , the upcoming hours turn into quite a sight as the train moves from California to Nevada and the scenery changes from a winter wonderland to a barren desert . Although Nevada is perhaps best known for the city of gambling , splurging and spontaneous weddings , Las Vegas , the train that Derek was on didn ’ t pass there . Instead Low noted that the most notable urban area is Reno , or as he describes , “ the Biggest Little City in the World ” . At night the train passes another state line , between Nevada and Utah , and as the clocks are adjusted an hour forward , the first leg of the trip ends in Salt Lake City at 3 am . Perhaps one of the most notable objects , and the one that Derek visited at early hours of the morning , is the Mormon Temple . It towers at 222 ft ( 68 m ) and liesThe second leg of the journey begins as a 15 - hour train ride from Salt Lake City to Denver begins . According to Low , “ the journey between Utah and Colorado is regarded to be the most spectacular train ride in all of the United States . ” The railroad stretches across the scenery that will remind anyone of the Western movies . One of the more memorable sights in the wast outstretch of American Wild West is the Book cliffs . The path is riddled with stunning canyons , so you aren ’ t going to miss out on them as they will be most of what you ’ re seeing . Just don ’ t overlook the hoodoos , tall , thin spires of rock that look like long chimneys protruding from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland . As the train follows the Colorado River for quite a stretch of time , you will have the perfect chance to snap some photos , as well as see how the waters twist and turn . Low notes that this is the time to see ” a particularly odd breed of Colorado wildlife indigenous to the area . ” Apparently , rafters in the Colorado River have a weird habit to ‘ salute ’ the passing trains by pulling their pants off and giving them a good mooning to remember . No wonder the river ’ s nicknamed as a “ Moon River ” . Before the train finally arrives to Denver , the Rockies come to an end and canyons with hoodoos blend into seemingly ends green plains . The change in scenery , again , just shows how much variety the states have to offer , and it ’ s possible to see all of that in just a couple of days . After a 15 - hour journey , the train reaches Denver , the capital of Colorado , also known as “ The Mile High City ” . Famous for being one of the sunniest cities , Denver has 300 days of sunshine a year , just the perfect place to stop and take a walk around . Derek suggests to take some time and explore the city , as he himself did . And for a good reason . Denver has more than 200 parks within the city and 20 , 000 acres of parks in the surrounding mountain area . The next leg of the cross - country journey is between Denver and Chicago . And although Low reported that he slept through the 4 states ( Colorado , Nebraska , Iowa , Illinois ) as most of the 19 - hour ride takes place at night . According to Derek , it ’ s pretty comfortable sleeping on The California Zephyr train . Though depending on the time of the day the train passes these states , there are still plenty of scenic routes to enjoy . Plains , forests , reservois and rivers are just some of the sights to enjoy while on a long train ride . Towards the end of the journey , the Zephyr reaches one of the most significant stops on the route , the city of Chicago . The third most populous city in the USA , Chicago has plenty of entertainment to offer . From mouth - watering food ( deep - dish pizza , right ? ) to the Willis Tower looming over the city at 442 . 1 m ( 1 , 450 ft ) height , there are plenty of things to try out , and Derek spent another day there , exploring . Also , Chicago is home to the infamous “ Bean ” sculpture . “ Cloud Gate ” by Anish Kapoor first received attention purely for its shape , prompting people to create a line of memes on the internet . It later resurfaced on the net because of the feud between its original creator and Stuart Semple . So , visiting Chicago is the perfect opportunity to witness this iconic symbol . As the California Zephyr only goes as far as Chicago , to cover the rest of the journey one must transfer to Lake Shore Limited . As the last stretch between Chicago and New York takes around 20 hours , it ’ s best to relax , enjoy the views , or find something interesting to spend your time on . Low says that for him , it was an excellent opportunity to sit down and write . After an ardous trip that took days , the train finally arrives to the Big Apple , drawing the cross - country tour to a conclusion . There are , of course , plenty of things to do in the most populated city in the States . The Statue of Liberty , Times Square , the Empire State Building , and the Central Park are just a scratching the surface when it comes to such an urban giant like New York City . Derek crossed 3 , 397 miles ( 5 466 . 9 km ) , 11 states , 4 timezones in just 4 days . “ I ’ ve seen both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean without taking a flight . Some people have told me that I ’ ve already seen more of the country than most Americans . ” he explained . While Derek paid $ 429 for a 15 - day rail pass to make the most of his time on a trip across the USA , he claims that it ’ s possible to cross the country for much less . “ The rail pass includes 8 train rides which I used to explore other cities after my cross - country journey . If you ’ re thinking of stopping at a few cities , a rail pass can be a great value ” he explained . However , there is a possibility to buy direct California Zephyr and Lake Shore Limited tickets that would take you from San Francisco to New York . And those cost as little as $ 186 .