Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - 1080HD - Hiking and Family Fun - Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs Aerial Tram website:
www.pstramway.com
Took the family up the
Palm Springs Aerial tram. Very nive day hiking, you can also rock climb, have fun with the family when it snows, snow shoeing, plus see all the wildlife and a lot of different hiking trails.
Located just outside
Palm Springs, California this is a scenic day trip. You can also camp overnight.
Small gift shops and the top and bottom facilities. At the top there is a full restaurant and a small gist shop as well, just really expensive for the food. A vending machine that has soda and water, no food vending machines.
Take a trip up there, it's worth going.
PALM SPRINGS, CA - The
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway constructed in the rugged
Chino Canyon on the north edge of Palm Springs did not just happen. It required foresight, planning, financing and most of all vision.
As a young electrical engineer,
Francis Crocker’s dream began in 1935 while he was on a trip to
Banning, California, with newspaper publisher
Carl Barkow. Mopping his brow in the heat of the day, Crocker gazed on longingly at the still snow-capped peak of
Mount San Jacinto, 10,834 feet high and longed to “go up there where it’s nice and cool” At that moment, “
Crocker’s Folly,” as it was soon dubbed by one newspaper woman, was born – a tramway up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon.
Enlisting the aid of desert pioneer and co-manager of
the famed Palm Springs Desert Inn, O.
Earl Coffman Crocker’s dream became a plan.
Even though the enthusiasm for the tramway idea was high locally, political roadblocks caused numerous disappointing setbacks.
Twice a tramway enabling bill passed the
California State Legislature, only to be vetoed by then
Governor Culvert Olson. With the outbreak of
World War II, the plans were shelved.
However, Crocker’s vision of a tramway to scale those cliffs to the coolness of the
San Jacinto Mountains never died.
Years after the original plans were shelved, they were dusted off and the battle begun anew.
In
1945, a new tram bill was passed and Governor
Earl Warren signed the measure creating the Mount San Jacinto
Winter Park Authority. Coffman, who had labored long and hard to see the vision realized, was named the Authority’s first chairman and Crocker was named the first secretary.
By
1950, technicians were moving ahead on designs for the tramway, spending more than $
250,000 solving riddles of road and tower construction. Funds for the construction of the
Tramway were raised by the sale of $8.15 million in private revenue bonds.
Culver Nichols, who donated the land for the
Valley Station and parking lots, helped stretch the funds raised. Not one cent of public funds were used for either the construction or operation of the tramway. The 35-year bonds were successfully paid off in
1996.
The Korean War was to cause another delay, but the ambitious project began to take form in July
1961.
Construction of the Tramway was an engineering challenge and was soon labeled the “eighth wonder of the world.” The superlative was earned because of the ingenious use of helicopters in erecting four of the five supporting towers. Twenty-years later, the Tramway was designated an historical civil engineering landmark.
The first tower is the only one that can be reached by road. The helicopters flew some 23,
000 missions during the 26 months of construction, hauling men and materials needed to erect the four other towers and the 35,000 sq. ft.
Mountain Station.
Francis Crocker’s dream was completed in
1963; the inaugural ride occurred on
September 12th of that year with local and state dignitaries and celebrities on hand.
Crocker rode the Tramway numerous times and fellow passengers often would receive a narration from him as they rode up to “where it was nice and cool.” Francis Crocker died in
1992.
In
1998 the Tramway announced that it was embarking on an ambitious modernization program that would see the construction and installation in
2000 of new cars and updating of its facilities.
Beginning in
September 2000, passengers rode the world’s largest rotating tramcars constructed.
Since 1963 nearly 18 million people have traveled the 10-minute, 2.5-mile ride, which begins at the Valley Station – elevation 2,
643 feet and ends at the Mountain Station – elevation 8,516 feet.
Peaks
Restaurant
A
Culinary Experience Above the Clouds. The chefs have created a menu featuring a variety of fresh vegetables and greens from the
Coachella Valley, dry aged meats and poultry along with fresh breads from local bakeries. Additional selections will include market fresh seafood and pastas.
Children's menu available. Reservations are recommended.
Call (760) 325-4537.
The Lookout Lounge
A full cocktail bar offering a variety of alcoholic beverages and appetizers and is located on the same level as the restaurants.