The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California, opened in September 1963 as a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to near the top of San Jacinto Peak. Prior to its construction, the only way to the top of the mountain was to hike for several hours from Idyllwild.
Today, the tram is one of the biggest attractions in Southern California. The eight-and-a-half-minute ride beginning at the Valley Station up North America's sheerest mountain face passes through several life zones on its way to the mountain station at 8516 feet (2600 m) above mean sea level. The trip has been likened in terms of geologic and climatic change to a motor trip from Sonora to the Canadian tundra.
Passengers disembark at the Mountain Station in the alpine wilderness of Long Valley and Mount San Jacinto State Park. The air can be as much as 40 °F (25 °C) cooler at the top than in the desert. Visitors can walk along nature trails, take a burro ride or even play in the snow during the winter months.
The view at the top can stretch northward for more than 200 miles (300 km) on a clear day, all the way to Mount Charleston north of Las Vegas. Views to the east and west can stretch as far as 75 miles (120 km); the Salton Sea is plainly visible to the southeast.
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