Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
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The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is an often-overlooked tourist attraction that takes passengers on a scenic ride up to the top of San Jacinto Peak.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Guide: (Jump To)
Riding The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The tramway is located within a fifteen-minute drive of downtown Palm Springs. The view at the top is quite spectacular and if you’re in a “nature-y” mood, you’ll easily be entertained by the great hiking trails on top of the mountain. The cabins themselves rotate as they traverse up the 2.5-mile ascent. This allows everyone on board to get enough selfies to last at least a full day of material for Instagram. If you’re afraid of heights, this is probably not for you. Or just go, close your eyes, and get over yourself. There’s no faster way to the top.
What To Do at The Top
The cabins ascend to a height of 8,516 feet and at points you’re dangling over cliffs, suspended hundreds of feet in the air. Once you’re at the top, there’s a small museum, an observation deck, and two (not particularly notable) restaurants. There are also over 50 miles of hiking trails. The trails are well maintained by the park service and there are quite a few that are easy enough for even grandma to enjoy. You will most definitely encounter birds native to the region including Clark's nutcrackers (we don’t know who Clark is, but he’s obviously a bird enthusiast), common ravens, northern flickers, and white-headed woodpeckers. Coyotes, mule deer, bobcats, and mountain lions also live here. We didn’t see anything except birds.
If you’re super outdoorsy, I would say that you could spend a full day hiking up at the top. If you’re not so outdoorsy, but enjoy a nice walk every now and then (like I do), a few hours are all you’ll need. During the summer, there are free guided nature walks available starting at the Mountain Station Natural History Museum.
This is a great thing to do if you’re in Palm Springs and you’re done drinking in the pool or playing golf. It’s not terribly expensive and you’ll be able to see for miles all the way out to the Salton Sea. Oddly enough, most of our friends who go to Palm Springs often have never done it. Probably because they’re the ones drinking in the pool. We don’t judge.
Tips For Riding The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
During the summertime and holidays, there can be a long wait to board the trams. It’s helpful if you buy your tickets online in advance.
Bring a jacket. Even during the summer, the top of the peak is typically 30-40 degrees cooler than it is at the bottom. If it’s 85 in downtown Palm Springs, it’s going to be quite chilly at the top. During the winter, the top of the peak is a winter wonderland. You can even go cross-country skiing.
They offer an annual pass. If you think you’ll be riding the tram back and forth multiple times, a season pass might save you some cash.
There are two restaurants in the complex that are attached to the top of the tram unloading station. One is a full-service, sit-down meal. It’s very pretty and pricey. Think steak and roasted chicken and sautéed broccolini. The other dining venue is a pretty average cafeteria-style chow hall. It’s a buffet. You can get a buffet package included in your tram ticket (fancy, right?).
The tram operates year-round. Check the website for the schedule.https://www.pstramway.com/.
For other things to do in Southern California, check out our Things to Love about SoCal.
