Georgetown Loop Christmas Train Review: THE Colorado Holiday Scenic Train Ride That Will Sell Out

We've done this ride a few times now as a family, and it sells out every single year without fail. That's not marketing copy — I've watched it happen. If you're thinking about going this December, stop reading this article for a second and go check the ticket availability first. Come back after. Seriously.

Georgetown is about 45 minutes west of Denver on I-70, and the Georgetown Loop Railroad runs two different holiday experiences: Santa's Rocky Mountain Adventure during the day, and Santa's Lighted Forest at night. They're variations on the same idea — a round-trip loop from Devil's Gate Depot with scenery, Christmas lights, and Santa making an appearance — but the vibe is pretty different depending on which one you pick.

Day vs. Night: Which One to Book

The daytime ride, Santa's Rocky Mountain Adventure, is the family-with-young-kids option. You get the mountain views, snowy scenery, and a version of Santa that little ones can actually see and interact with. My kids loved it when they were younger. The nighttime ride, Santa's Lighted Forest, has over 300,000 lights strung along the tracks, which sounds like it could go either way but actually delivers. Riding through a dark canyon with that much light around you is genuinely cool — more atmospheric than I expected the first time we did it. If your kids are past the age where meeting Santa is the main event, the night ride is the better experience.

One thing worth knowing: both rides follow the same historic loop route, so the novelty of the train itself doesn't change. What changes is the lighting, the Santa interaction format, and the general energy of the crowd. Weeknights tend to be a little calmer than weekends if you have flexibility.

The Georgetown Christmas Market Makes It a Full Day

Here's what we've started doing: pairing the train with the Georgetown Christmas Market, which runs on select weekends in December. Georgetown is already a good-looking mountain town — it was a legitimate silver boomtown in the 1800s, and a lot of that architecture is still intact — so walking around before or after the ride makes the whole trip feel worth the drive even more. You're not just doing a 45-minute train loop and heading home. It turns into a half-day outing without much extra effort.

Parking in Georgetown around the holidays isn't a disaster, but it's not effortless either. Give yourself some extra time if you're hitting a weekend market day and the train on the same trip.

What to Know Before You Go

The tickets do sell out — not in a "get there early" kind of way, but in a "they're gone by mid-November for popular dates" kind of way. Book online as soon as you know your schedule. There's no walking up and buying tickets at the depot on a December weekend. I've seen people try. It doesn't go well.

Dress warmer than you think you need to. The train cars are covered but the ride is open-air in sections, and you're already at elevation in a mountain canyon. It cools down fast after dark if you're doing the night ride. This is not the place to test how light you can pack.

The ride itself is about 45 minutes for the loop. It's not a long journey, so if you're expecting a multi-hour scenic train experience, this is more of a short excursion than an expedition. The loop route and the high bridge crossing are the main visual payoffs, and they deliver — but set expectations accordingly.

The Bottom Line

If you have kids or you're looking for a genuinely Colorado holiday tradition that isn't just another light display at a park, this is worth doing at least once. We keep going back, which says something. Just book early — that's the only thing standing between you and actually getting on the train.