Just 15 miles outside of downtown Palm Springs is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – the world’s largest rotating tram car. For a $25 fee you can ride the tram as it transports you over 2 1/2 miles to the pristine wilderness of Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
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View from the observation deck overlooking Palm Springs and Coachella Valley
One way to escape the heat in Palm Springs is to head up to the mountains. It’s typically 30 degrees cooler than on the desert floor. So when temps are rising to 100+ like they are today, it’s still pleasantly cool.
Once you arrive at Mountain Station – elevation 8,516 ft — there are observation decks, a natural history museum, 2 documentary theaters, a gift shop and 2 restaurants. But I didn’t come here for mimosas and brunch! Even though the tram cut off nearly 6,000 vertical feet of climbing from Palm Springs, it’s still a quite strenuous 5.5 mile hike to the peak of Mt. San Jacinto.
Hike Stats
Time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Hard
Max Elevation: 10,833 ft
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Fresh off the tram
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The hike begins
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Long Meadow
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Reaching a viewing area
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Vista
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Continue climbing
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Starting to see Coachella Valley views
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Still climbing
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Boulder section
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Summit. A busy place
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Peak views to the West
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Coachella Valley
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Panoramic view
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Real sign was stolen 2 weeks ago. This sharpie scribbled post is all that remains
At 10,833 feet, Mt. San Jacinto is southern California’s second highest peak. On a clear day you can see from the Pacific Ocean to Mount Charleston in Las Vegas. Taking the tram adds a unique feature to this hike and it’s a memorable one. The Aerial Tramway to San Jacinto Peak hike tested my fitness. I was thoroughly exhausted afterwards but it was a fun and insanely beautiful hike.