Located high above Palm Springs’ Coachella Valley, travelers will find a mountaintop oasis with cool breezes and a pine forest in the summer. In the winter, visitors might find snow-covered evergreens and enough snow for sledding in Southern California. To reach this oasis perched above Palm Springs, climb aboard the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. At the top, guests will enter the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument after a gentle 10-minute ride to ascend 6,000 feet.
Should I Take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
If you are traveling with kids, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is an easy excursion. Kids love different modes of transportation, so the tram will be fun.
The winter offers a chance for cold weather, including snow. During the summer, the pine forest is an oasis from the blazing valley below.
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Things to Do at Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
The majority of the Mount Santa Jacinto State Park resides within the larger Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Divided into three parcels, the easiest part of the national monument to explore is the state park.
The San Jacinto State Park includes 14,000 acres of wilderness. To explore this area, it features 54 miles of trails.
During our visit, we hiked from the Mountain Station to the Ranger Station and then to Grubb’s View. This is part of Long Valley at an elevation of 8,400 feet.
My three kids, 8, 12 and 13, hiked along wide paths with dappled sunlight, and the summer temperatures rarely exceed 80F. The hiking in this area is relatively flat.
Hiking Trails
Discovery Nature Trail is a 0.6-mile round-trip loop, suitable for most.
Desert View Trail is a 1.5-mile round-trip loop with a 50-foot elevation gain.
Other hiking trails require a wilderness permit. They are available on-site.
Interpretive Activities at Mount San Jacinto State Park
Kids can complete a Mount San Jacinto State Park Junior Ranger Nature Guide. Kids explore the wilderness while looking for plants and animals.
If your kids find four different plants or animals, they get a signed certificate. The booklets are available at the Mountain Station.
The Mount Santa Jacinto State Park offers guided walks during the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day, every weekend. Volunteers guide hikers along a 40-minute walk and point out various plants and animals. Free.
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Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Review
My kids love different. So when I told them I wanted to ride a rotating cable car up the side of a mountain to visit our next national park site, they were all in.
On the southerly side of the Coachella Valley in southern California, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway ascends 2.5 miles to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, an alpine oasis perched high above the Palm Springs desert. This is the easiest way to get to the wilderness.
As the seasons change, the treed oasis is about 30 to 40 degrees cooler than the valley floor. The ride offers a spectacular view aboard the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tram car.
Worth noting: The only way into Mount San Jacinto State Park from the Mountain Tram Station is down a steep, paved walkway that descends 100 feet in 1/8th of a mile.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain Station
The Mountain Station is the terminus of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. This building offers an interpretive area and restrooms.
It also offers a couple of dining options. During our visit, we spent several hours hiking, so the kids needed a snack to keep them happy.
Peaks Restaurant offers fine contemporary California cuisine with a view of the Coachella Valley. It is open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and for dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Reservations are recommended.
Pines Café is a casual cafeteria offering kid-friendly options like pizza and sandwiches. It is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Lookout Lounge provides the ideal spot to enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Valley Station
At the departing station, the Valley Station, visitors will find restrooms and a gift shop. There is also the Cascade Cafe.
This is where I also found a retired tram car, perfect for photos.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Weather
Perched high above Palm Springs, California, the weather is 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the valley below. During the summer, the alpine forest temperatures rarely reach 80F
If you’re looking for a snow play area in the middle of a desert, a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway transports you to a winter wonderland. The flurries start to fall around Thanksgiving, and the snow lingers through the winter. This is the only area near Palm Springs with a snow-play area for sledding, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
The Adventure Center, located near the Mountain Station, offers snowshoe rentals and cross-country ski equipment. Sleds can be purchased along with winter-related items in the gift shop.
It is best to pack layers no matter the time of your visit.
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History of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The idea of a tram began in 1935, yet it took close to 30 years to fund and build. After years of roadblocks and halts for major wars, construction began in 1961.
Only the first of the tram’s five towers can be reached by road and the remaining towers along with the Mountain Station (the terminal building for the tram) utilized helicopters to complete the construction.
In all, over 23,000 helicopter missions flew the necessary workers and materials for the 26-month construction period. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway opened to passengers in 1963.
The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument was created in 2000 to protect the pristine alpine wilderness. Most of the Mount San Jacinto State Park is within the monument’s boundaries.
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Scared of Heights?
If your kids hate heights, the tram ride to the top might be a problem. My kids loved it, though the tram car sways over each of the five towers. I found the ride to be gentle and quiet, and it takes about 10 minutes to climb 6,000 feet.
During our trip, the kids in our car were great. A few of the older adults experienced slight vertigo issues with the tram car’s rotation. I suggest riding in the center of the tram and giving kids gum to chew to help with their popping ears.
Where’s the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
The most family-friendly route to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. It thrilled my kids and made for a memorable day.
My kids loved the rotating tram car ride to the top as our Swiss-made car made two complete rotations. The Palm Springs Aerial Tram traverses 2.5 miles and gains 6,000 feet of elevation as it moves over five towers with a little sway.
Located at 1 Tramway, off Highway 111, with easy access from Interstate 10. Located six miles from downtown Palm Springs, it’s open seven-day-a week.
For national park enthusiasts, Joshua Tree National Park is 40 miles away. Mojave National Preserve is 115 miles north. Death Valley National Park is 300 miles away.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Price
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, as is the Mount San Jacinto State Park. The parks offer free admission.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway requires a ticket for all passengers. Adult tickets are $36.95, and kids 3 to 10 are $20.95, with kids under 3 riding for free. Seniors (65+)are $33.95. Parking is $15 per vehicle. No pets allowed on trams.
The first tram goes up at 10 a.m. Monday to Friday, year-round. On winter weekends and holidays, the first tram goes up at 8 a.m. In the winter, the last tram goes up at 8 p.m., and the last one down is at 9:30 p.m. During the summer weekdays, the last tram goes up at 8 p.m., and the last one down is at 9:30 p.m. For summer weekends, the last tram goes up at 9 p.m., and the last one down is at 10:30 p.m.
Where to Stay in Palm Springs
During my visit to Palm Springs, I stayed in the Walt Disney Technicolor Dream House, Walt Disney’s former home in the Indian Springs golf community. The ideal base for exploring Palm Springs or nearby Joshua Tree National Park. Check it out here.
Looking for a rustic way to connect with nature? Mount San Jacinto State Park offers primitive camping in six different campgrounds. Ranging from a 2 to 6-mile hike from the tram building, campgrounds offer vault toilets (not flushing) though no water. The camping fee is $5 per person, and campers will have to fill out a free wilderness permit.
Know Before You Go:
The Mount San Jacinto State Park offers a 30-degree Fahrenheit differential from the valley below. Pack an extra layer.
Use the restrooms in the tram building for flushing toilets.
Take it easy at higher elevations, especially with younger kids and grandparents.
Pack some snacks and water bottles.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is closed for annual maintenance in September and during inclement weather.
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