News

FRESH SNOW – MEDIA ALERT

PALM SPRINGS, CA (December 11, 2022) – There is fresh snow at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway! The Mountain Station received about 1-inch of snow early Sunday morning. Snow is expected to accumulate continuously throughout today and tomorrow according to the latest forecast. To check the latest weather forecast, please visit our website www.pstramway.com/weekly-planner. To see the current visibility and snow conditions, please visit www.pstramway.com/tram-cam.

PALM SPRINGS, CA (November 23, 2022) The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway continues its holiday festivities with Santa making his visit at the Mountain Station on Saturday, December 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Kids will have the chance to take photos with Santa and receive a free candy cane from the man himself!

On December 25, 2022, and January 1, 2023, Ride ’n’ Dine tickets—which include Tram admission and dinner at Pines Café (a cafeteria-style restaurant)—are available for purchase beginning at 8:00 a.m. (rather than the usual 4:00 p.m.) Dinner service begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. Combination tickets are $38 for adults and seniors, and $24.50 for children (ages 3-10).

Peaks Restaurant serves their regular lunch and dinner menus along with a special prix fixe holiday menu beginning at 11:00 a.m. on December 25, 2022, and January 1, 2023. Reservations are recommended and may be made by either calling 760-325-4537 or via Open Table on the Tram’s website (www.pstramway.com/dining).

The Tramway operates a special schedule from December 24, 2022, through January 8, 2023. The first tram up each day is at 8:00 a.m., the last tram up is at 8:00 p.m. and the last tram down is at 9:30 p.m.

REMINDER: Choir performances kick off the holiday season December 2, 2022, and continue select Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays through December 11. The Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place December 4 with UFC Hall-of-Famer Cub Swanson lighting the Tram’s landmark 45-foot tree comprised of over 4,000 LED lights.

PALM SPRINGS, CA (November 14, 2022) Holiday choir season kicks off December 2 at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain Station, continuing a decades-long tradition. Select Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays through December 11, guests can listen to holiday favorites performed by a different high school choir.

For the 2022 holiday season, the Tramway is proud to present the following line-up:

• Friday, December 2 – Martin Luther King High School Chamber Singers & Show Choir 
• Sunday, December 4 – Palm Springs High School Madrigals & String Quartet 
• Thursday, December 8 – Coachella Valley High School Concert Choir 
• Friday, December 9 – The Lion’s Pride Chamber Singers (Cathedral City High School)
• Sunday, December 11 – Encore High School for the Arts Madrigals  

Show times are at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and are complimentary with regular Tram admission. Performances are on the Pines Café Stage with food and beverage available for purchase from either Pines Café or the Lookout Lounge. (Note: The December 4 performance is outside on the Desert View Terrace at 5:30 p.m. as part of the tree lighting ceremony. There will also be a 7:30 p.m. performance inside).

PALM SPRINGS, CA (November 9, 2022)  The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Snow Guessing Contest officially ended on Tuesday, November 8 with one inch of measurable snow at the Tramway’s Mountain Station as of 10:00 p.m.

The first ten contestants who submitted the correct date are:

1. Carolyn Kirner-Schmidt of San Diego, CA
2. Sharon Jones of Rancho Mirage, CA
3. Deidre Buck of Loma Linda, CA
4. Wendy Smith of Palm Springs, CA
5. M. Hankins of Palm Springs, CA
6. James Perkins
7. Edward Ramos of Palm Springs, CA
8. M. Bratton of Indio, CA
9. Michelle Collins of 29 Palms, CA
10. Robin Marson of La Quinta, CA

The winners will receive four regular Tramway admissions plus a Tramway beanie hat and sticker. The contest began October 1, and 605 entries were received.

UFC Hall-of-Famer Cub Swanson will serve as the 2022 celebrity tree lighter for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, December 4. Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Tram’s Mountain Station with the Palm Springs High School Madrigals & String Quartet performing holiday favorites. Swanson will follow by lighting the Tram’s landmark 45-foot tree comprised of over 4,000 LED lights, which can be seen throughout the Coachella Valley.

Cub Swanson, a Coachella Valley native, is a legendary American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the UFC. Swanson was inducted into the 2022 UFC Hall of Fame earlier this year for his iconic fight against Doo Ho Choi in 2016. As a heavily decorated UFC fighter, Swanson was nicknamed “Killer” and has won ‘Fight of the Night’ six times, ‘Knockout of the Night’ two times, 2016 ‘Fight of the Year,’ and 13 career performance bonuses—the most in UFC featherweight division history.

In addition, Swanson owns and runs a UFC gym in Costa Mesa. He also raises his 3 children with his wife, Kenda Swanson, and hopes to inspire youth to train and live a healthier lifestyle. Born and raised in Palm Springs, Swanson is looking forward to this year’s tree lighting ceremony at the Tram. “The Coachella Valley has always been my home and I’m excited to be named this year’s tree lighter for the 2022 holiday season,” says Swanson

Extended Hours and Special Holiday Dining

PALM SPRINGS, CA (November 1, 2022) The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will operate a special holiday schedule during the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, Thursday, November 24 through Sunday, November 27. The first tram up each day will be at 8:00 a.m., the last tram up will be at 8:00 p.m. and the last tram down will be at 9:30 p.m.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, Ride ‘n’ Dine tickets—which include Tram admission and dinner at Pines Café (a cafeteria-style restaurant)—will be available for purchase from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Dinner service begins at 11:00 a.m. Combination tickets are $38 for adults and seniors, and $24.50 for children (ages 3-10). The holiday menu includes a choice of oven-roasted turkey, beef burgundy or vegetarian lasagna; a selection of side dishes; and pumpkin pie for dessert. Dinner roll along with a fountain beverage, coffee or tea are included.

Peaks Restaurant will begin serving their regular menu along with traditional holiday favorites at 11:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling 760-325-4537 or by visiting https://pstramway.com/dining/.

This Thanksgiving, take a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, stroll the majestic forests of Mt. San Jacinto State Park, and then dine while enjoying spectacular Coachella Valley views.

PALM SPRINGS, CA (October 22, 2022) The winner of today’s 35^th Annual Palm Springs Aerial Tram Road Challenge was Steven Bingham of Cathedral City, who ran the “World’s Toughest 6K” in 33 minutes, 11 seconds. The first female to cross the finish line was Kate Tennant of Edmonton, Canada in 39 minutes, 45 seconds. Richard Olivares finished first in the youngest category (19 and under) and Patrick Bivona of Los Alamitos finished first in the oldest category (80-99).

This year’s Male and Female Challenge Division Winners are:

The first Tram Road Challenge was held in 1983, and was won by Rob Slick in 27 minutes, 35 seconds and Nancy Baird in 35 minutes, 25 seconds. The fastest men’s time was set by Rubin Garcia of Mexico—26 minutes, 5 seconds—in 1987. Lubov Kremleva of Russia set the fastest women’s time—28 minutes, 56 seconds in 1998.

849 runners and walkers entered in this year’s Tram Road Challenge.

Scenic 6K Run/Walk Set for October 22

PALM SPRINGS, CA (October 13, 2022) The 35th annual Palm Springs Aerial Tram Road Challenge will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2022, with a start time of 7:00 a.m. (walkers start at 6:30 a.m.). This 6K run/walk begins at the bottom of Tram Way and ends at the Tram’s Valley Station, an elevation increase of over 1,900 feet in just 3.7 miles.

Special finishers’ medals will be presented to all participants along with a 2022 Tram Road Challenge tee shirt. Participants will also receive a post-race breakfast snack. 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place awards will be given in each age category for both male, female, and non-binary finishers during an awards ceremony near the finish line immediately following the race.

The Tramway’s road will be closed until (approximately) 11:00 a.m. on race day. Spectator shuttles will run from 5:30-6:00 a.m. from the Palm Springs Visitors Center (all spectators and participants will be directed to nearby parking lots).

Shutdown Concludes with Refurbishment and Comprehensive Testing

PALM SPRINGS, CA (October 7, 2022) The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will reopen on Monday, October 10, 2022 after its annual maintenance closure. The first tram up will be at 10:00 a.m., the last tram up will be at 8:00 p.m. and the last tram down will be at 9:30 p.m. Tram cars depart at least every 30 minutes.

Completed projects this year include the replacement of tower sheaves, replacement of the dome windows in both tramcars, and comprehensive mechanical and electrical testing of Tramway systems.  

“Each year’s maintenance closure allows our team the opportunity to perform both mechanical and aesthetic improvements to our tramcars and to our Valley and Mountain Stations,” says General Manager Nancy Nichols. “We look forward to welcoming a new season of Coachella Valley residents and visitors to the Tramway and Mt. San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness.”

PALM SPRINGS, CA (September 30, 2022) Fall is finally here, and snow will soon be falling on Mount San Jacinto. That means the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Snow Guessing Contest is here! This event runs from October 1 until the first measurable inch of snow falls at the Tramway’s Mountain Station, elevation 8,516 feet.

The first ten entries received with the correct date of snowfall will win four Tram admissions plus a special Tram gift memento. In the event there are more than ten correct entries, the earliest postmarks will prevail.
To submit an entry, simply write down your best-guess date on a postcard and mail it to: Snow Guessing Contest, 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262. Participants may enter as many times as they would like, but only one date per postcard. For more information and contest rules, please visit www.pstramway.com/tram-news.

It won’t be long before snowflakes are falling on Mount San Jacinto, and that means a snow day will soon be a short 10-minute tramcar ride away from the desert floor. There’s never been a year when someone didn’t win the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Snow Guessing Contest.