San Jacinto Peak via Tramway

The San Jacinto Peak via Tramway route is one of the most dramatic and accessible wilderness hiking experiences in California, combining a spectacular aerial tram ride with a challenging summit ascent to reach the 10,804-foot apex of Mount San Jacinto. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world's largest rotating tram car, ascends from the desert floor at 2,643 feet to the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet in just under ten minutes, covering one of the most dramatic vertical transitions of any tram system on Earth.

From the Mountain Station, hikers enter the Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness and begin the 11-mile round trip to the summit, climbing through dense forests of lodgepole pine and mountain hemlock before emerging onto the open granite slopes of the upper mountain. The final approach to the summit involves scrambling over massive granite boulders to reach the small rock shelter at the top, where views encompass the Coachella Valley 9,000 feet below, the Salton Sea shimmering in the distance, and on clear days, the Pacific Ocean to the west and mountains of Nevada to the northeast.

The route gains an additional 2,200 feet above the tram's Mountain Station on challenging mountain terrain. A wilderness permit is required for day hiking and camping in the wilderness area and is available at the ranger station near the tram arrival. The combined $30 vehicle and tram fee applies. Dogs are not permitted in the wilderness area. Snow can persist on the upper mountain well into summer, so ice axe and crampon proficiency may be required in early season.