Palm Springs Aerial Tramway — Is it AWESOME?
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, also known as the Palm Springs Tram, is the world's largest rotating tramcar! The tramcar makes two complete revolutions through the 10-minute 2.5 mile journey through Chino Canyon up to Mount San Jacinto. The Palm Springs tram ride and the mountaintop was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and I kept channeling my inner Valley Girl by repeatedly just saying “AWESOME” throughout the day.
To really undrestand the adventure (and my obvious enthusiasm for the tram), check out our video.
How to Visit the Palm Springs Tramway
One of the old Tram Cars at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Located in the San Jacinto Mountains in California, the Palm Springs tram connects the valley floor of Palm Springs to near the peak of Mount San Jacinto. The trip begins at the Valley Station (elevation 2,643 feet) and ends at the Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet). Tickets are about $30/person, and visitors must also purchase a $12 parking pass so it cost us about $75 in total. We booked our tickets about three weeks in advance because tickets sell out quickly.
We visited in February 2023, just around the time that the Palm Springs area had been experiencing unusual amounts of cold and precipitation. The inclement weather meant that the mountains would be covered in more snow that they had seen in at least a decade. I also think that the weather kept many folks from visiting that day. The temperature at the Mountain Station can be up to 30 degrees cooler than the valley floor.
There are several parking lots, and we were told to go to Parking Lot F, which was withing walking distance to the Valley Station. A handful of open-air buses/trams provide transportation from the parking lots to the Valley Station for boarding. A couple of the old non-rotating tram cars are located nearby, which make for a nice selfie.
What to Expect on the Palm Springs Tram Ride Up Mount San Jacinto
Counterweight at the Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Before boarding the tram, there’s a waiting area for passengers. There isn’t a whole lot to do there, but we downloaded the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mobile app and scrolled through it do learn more about what we were going to see. In the Valley Station, there’s a live feed to the Engine Room there just prior to the waiting area, and at the Mountain Station, there’s a large window that shows the counterweight pit.
Interestingly, there are two trams running at any given time. One goes up the hill, and another tram goes down the mountain. The engine at the bottom of the mountain actually pulls the tram down, and because the trams are all on the same cable loop, that action causes the other tram to go up the mountain. To keep tension in the cables, a massive counterweight is used. We learned that as counterweight moves up and down more rapidly, that means that the car is rolling over one of the towers. Awesome.
Open window at the Palm Springs Tramway showing the supporting towers
Once we got on the tram ride, more awesomeness ensued. Each car can hold 80 people maximum, but because we boarded the car last, we were right by the rotating walls of the tram car during our ascent and decent. As we traversed each of four towers, the tram car jerked a little as people let out nervous laughter similar to what I’ve experienced on a turbulent airplane ride. As we traveled the 5,873 feet in elevation, we slowly watched the desert below give way to snow-topped mountains and giant cliffs. The tram cars each have a handful of windows that are cracked about 8-10 inches so that we could take unobstructed photos of the surrounding landscape and breath in the fresh mountain air.
History and Construction of the Palm Springs Tram
The idea for the tramway was first conceived in the early 1930s by Francis F. Crocker, an electrical engineer and philanthropist. He thought that traveling near the peak of Mount San Jacinto would provide cool relief from the desert valley. He was convinced that the tramway would be a popular tourist attraction and a source of revenue for the region. However, he faced many obstacles in turning his vision into reality such that the project got the nickname “Crocker’s Folly.”
In addition to the technical challenges, finding a way to finance the construction of the tramway and obtain governmental support was equally difficult. The Great Depression, World War II, and the Korean War all delayed the start of the projects such that construction on the tramway did not begin until 1961. The first step was to build a road up the steep slope of Chino Canyon, where the tramway would be located. This was an enormous undertaking, as the road had to be carved into the mountain using hand tools and dynamite. Once the road was in place, work on the tramway could begin.
Rotair - Rotating Tram Car at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The construction of the tramway itself was a monumental task. The tramway consists of five support towers, with the tallest being 221 feet high, that lie between the Valley Station and the Mountain Station. Each track cable was more than 13,000 feet long and weighed 60 tons. Yellow helicopter pads are located on each tower, and helicopters were used to haul up the men, materials, and machinery to build the tram. Helicopters flew over 23,000 times, hauling more than 5,500 tons of stuff during construction! When the tram was completed in 1963, it was dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”
Around 2000, the tram was modernized to include the “Rotair” – the rotating tram cars. Each one is 18 feet in diameter and 8 feet tall and facilitates 360-degree views during the ride. There are only a couple of other rotating tram cars in operation in the world, and the rotational nature of the experience what really sets it apart from a regular gondola ride.
What is there to Do out Mountain Station?
At the Mount San Jacinto State Park sign after riding the Palm Springs Tram
The Mountain Station is located within Mt. San Jacinto State Park, and there are several hiking trails nearby, including (1) the Long Valley Discovery Trail (1.3 mile; easy), (2) Desert View Trail (1.5 mile, easy). We walked about a hundred yards down a shoveled sidewalk with a few icy patches, took some photos, and decided we were not in the mood to trek through any snow and needed to warm up.
The Mountain Station is also home to two restaurants, including a full-service bar, were we grabbed a couple of overpriced $12 Coachella Brewing craft beers and gazed as the mountain side though some large windows near the stairways.
Drinking a Coachella Beer at the Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram
The Mountain Station has two theatres, and we watched “Building On a Dream” where we learned all about the history, construction, and engineering of the Palm Springs Tramway. The grainy movie was made over two decades ago (copyrighted 2002) and needs some serious updating. That’s probably my only complaint about the entire experience. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mobile App hits the highlights, and I would recommend over the movie.
Overall, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was a true AWESOME “bucket list” experience for me. Like totally awesome.
