The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

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Sometimes referred to as “the eighth wonder of the world”, this rotating gondola tramway is the largest of its kind anywhere, and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. Starting at the foot of Mount San Jacinto it travels 2 ½ miles through the Chino Canyon nearly to the mountain’s top, two miles above sea level. Thus it gives access to the 273,000 acre (425+ sq. mi.) Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Monument, with its 54 miles (90+ km) of hiking trails, and to the smaller San Jacinto California State Park. This trip is relatively inexpensive and Margo and I consider it an absolute “must” when visiting anywhere within the Coachella Valley.

First planned in 1935, its construction had to wait until after WWII, but it was completed in 1963 at no cost to the taxpayers. There are two building complexes: the “Valley Station” and the “Mountain Station”. There were no access roads, so helicopters had to make some 23,000 trips up the side of the mountain to transport the building materials for its series of five towers and for the Mountain Station. For very complete information, go to http://www.pstramway.com/history.html .

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