Had a fast and furious trip to Palm Springs this past weekend and didn’t get a chance to ride the world famous Palm Springs Tramway. With it being the world’s largest rotating tramway, it is a must as a California staycation activity. The other large rotating tramways in the world are in South Africa and Switzerland, not exactly our backyard. So it is quite a treat to have something like this so close to home.
Unfortunately, the closest we got this time was at the Coachella Valley floor with a 300mm lens straining to find an actual tram on its way up. Some 8,500 feet up the mountain we were able to see where the tram ends at the top of San Jacinto Peak, sadly no trams were in sight.
I did check some info about the tramway and here it is:
At the bottom station, you enter the tram to begin your twelve and a half minute ride up the rugged and sheer terrain of Chino Canyon. The tram makes two complete revolutions during the ride so that you can see in all directions without moving yourself. The tram is roughly 18 ft long and has a max capacity of 80 people.
Once you reach the top station, you are in a different temperature zone. The air can be as much as 40 degrees cooler than the bottom floor. So be sure and check the temperatures at the top to dress appropriately. You could be swimming in the pool in Palm Springs and an hour later be playing in the snow at the summit.
As well as playing in the snow during certain seasons, you can also take a burro ride or hike the many trails around that area.
There are also two restaurants as well as gift shops at the summit but the real star of the trip is the spectacular view!
Cars depart at least every half hour from 10 a.m., Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. weekends and holiday periods. Last car up is 8 p.m. with the last car down at 9:45 p.m
Since we didn’t do this staycation activity ourselves, we are giving you only a few shots of the mountain and the top station.
The spectacular view and the thrill of the ride is up to you!!!!
Staycations California 