The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway opened in 1963 and is one of three rotating tramways in the world and is the largest. The 2 ½ mile ascent from the Chino Canyon(elevation 2,643 feet) to the Mt. San Jacinto State Park (elevation 8,516 feet) takes only 10 minutes. The tram cars can hold up to 80 passengers while they rotate slowly two times, giving everyone a 360 degree view of the cliffs and distant mountains. It is breathtaking! The weather at the top of the mountain is generally 30-40 degrees cooler than at the bottom.

At the Mountain Station there is a restaurant, a gift shop and observation decks.  A video presentation of the history of the attraction plays continuously in a theater at the Mountain Station. There are 50 miles of hiking trails with the option of renting snow shoes in the winter. We ascended the mountain in the winter. It was over 80 degrees in the dessert below and 50 up on top. We only needed a light jacket. There was also 4 feet of snow on the ground due to recent snow falls. The snow was so deep that the picnic tables and sign posts were almost completely covered. The path leading from the Mountain Station was shoveled. There were many people sledding down the hills and enjoying the snow. A ride on The Palm Springs Ariel Tramway is a ride that you definitely do not want to miss!

Posted: November 5, 2017

Information, prices and hours posted here are current as of the posted or updated date. It is advisable to call ahead or check online to confirm hours and prices.