Aerial Tramway Palm Springs   

1 Tramway Rd
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-325-1391
www.pstramway.com

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It's been more than four decades since it first began transporting passengers up and down Mount San Jacinto, and the world-famous Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is still one of the most dramatic vertical cable rises in the world -- and its rotating tramcars have no equal in the Western Hemisphere. Prior to the opening of the tramway in 1963, the only way to get to the top of majestic Mount San Jacinto, which overlooks the Coachella Valley, was to hike or take a mule train. Today, you simply relax and enjoy the gorgeous scenery that passes before your eyes as the rotating cars make their smooth, 10-minute journey upward. The ride begins at Valley Station, surrounded by cacti and other native arid flora, then rises up through mountain canyons and chimneys and finally arrives at Mountain Station in an arctic-alpine forest with giant Ponderosa pines. One thing to note: Temperatures at the starting point, which is 2,643 feet above sea level, can drop by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit at the 8,516-foot summit. Even if you visit during the smoldering summer, bring a sweatshirt. At Mountain Station, guests can tour the many scenic viewpoints, enjoy a drink or a bite in one of the eateries, peruse the gift shop, and visit the Natural History Museum. If you want to learn more about this modern engineering marvel, don't miss the 18-minute film "Building on a Dream." Or, step outside the station and into glorious Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area. Encompassing 14,000 acres, the park offers an array of summer and winter activities. During the summer, visitors can camp, go on nature walks, or hike 54 miles of trails. In winter, the Adventure Center rents out snowshoes, cross-country skis and snowtubes (weather permitting).