Throwback Thursday; Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Back in 2012 I took a form of transportation I don't believe has been previously covered on the Surewhynotnow blog; the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway from Coachella Valley in Sonoran Desert to the vicinity of San Jacinto Peak.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is located a couple miles northwest of downtown Palm Springs on California State Route 111. Access to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is via the amusingly named Tram Way.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway begins it's ascent through Chino Canyon at 2,643 feet above sea level at the Valley Station to 8,516 feet above sea level at Mountain Station. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was first proposed in 1935 but construction didn't begin until 1960. Helicopters were largely used during the construction of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which opened in 1963. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway provides easy access to San Jacinto State Park in addition to Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Monument.

The 18 foot wide tram cars actually rotate 360 degrees on the ascent from Valley Station up to Mountain Station. The tram cars provide excellent views which can be as far as 200 miles northward towards the Las Vegas Metro Area on a clear day.

The views down Chino Canyon from Mountain Station are daunting to say the least.

Much of Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault can be observed from Mountain Station.

The primary attraction that can be accessed from Mountain Station is the 10,834 foot San Jacinto Peak which is the tallest summit in the San Jacinto Mountains. The trail from Mountain Station is surprisingly short which can be accessed through San Jacinto State Park.

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