Enjoy Palm Springs From on High

Ride the aerial tram to spectacular views and alpine hiking.

Climbing 6,000 feet from the Sonoran Desert floor up into the San Jacinto Mountains, the Palm Springs Aerial Tram climbs 2.5 miles and traverses five climate zones in just 12 minutes. In summer, the thrilling ride lifts you high above the desert heat. In fact, it can be 30 degrees cooler at the 8,516-foot summit building.

The ride up in the glass-walled cars is great fun; the floor of the car slowly revolves on the ride, providing a fantastic view of craggy mountain ridges and broad desert lands dotted with towns. At the top, you can relax and enjoy the panorama from the upscale Peaks Restaurant (featuring fresh California cuisine), the Pines Café cafeteria, or a lounge with appetizers and cocktail bar.

You can also explore over 50 miles of hiking trails. For an easy leg-stretch through the pines, try the 3/4-mile Discovery Trail loop or the 1.5-mile Desert View Trail, offering sweeping vistas of the Coachella Valley way below. The tram runs year-round, even when snow blankets the peaks. You can rent snow shoes or cross-country skis and take to the trails; hardy adventurers even snow camp. Not quite your style? Then just have the fun of starting your day in the desert, and ending building snowmen.