38TH ANNUAL TRAM ROAD CHALLENGE RESULTS

PALM SPRINGS, CA (October 9, 2025) The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will reopen on Monday, October 13, 2025, following its annual preventative 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.

During the 2025 closure, several projects were successfully completed, including rebuilding the carriage on cabin one, replacing the counter haul rope, and conducting annual state-permit testing and service to the controls system.

“Our annual preventative maintenance closure allows our team the opportunity to improve the Tramway and its facilities, ensuring an enjoyable experience for all our visitors through the year,” according to General Manager Nancy Nichols. “We appreciate our guests’ patience as our Tramway systems and maintenance departments worked to complete all necessary projects. We look forward to welcoming back our visitors to the Tramway.”

Join us on Saturday, October 25 to celebrate AutumnFest at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway! This inaugural event takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Pines Café and features a three-course German meal accompanied by live music from polka band “Bavarian Stew.” Specialty beers will be available, as well.

Tickets are $41 for adults and $27.50 for children ages 3 – 10. Admission includes meal and tram fare.

Come sing, dance, and dine in an alpine wonderland!

The 38th annual Palm Springs Aerial Tram Road Challenge will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, 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. Registration is open now through race day.

Special finishers’ medals will be presented to all participants along with a 2025 Tram Road Challenge T-shirt. Participants will also enjoy a finish line festival with vendor booths and complimentary breakfast snacks. Immediately following the race, awards for the top three finishers in each age group will be given out to those registered in the Awards Eligible category.

Tram Way will be closed until (approximately) 11:00 a.m. on race day, with the first tram car up to the Mountain Station shortly after the road opens. 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).

Dreaming of a winter wonderland in the desert heat? The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Snow Guessing Contest is just around the corner! Kicking off October 1, the contest continues until the first measurable inch of snow falls at the Tramway’s Mountain Station, elevation 8,516 feet.

The first ten guests to accurately select the date of snowfall will win four regular Tram admission tickets, plus a special Tram gift memento. If there are more than ten correct entries, winners will be chosen by the earliest postmark date.

To submit an entry, write your best-guess date on a postcard and mail it to: Snow Guessing Contest, 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262. Please note that only one date per postcard will be accepted. For more information and contest rules, please click the button below.

This winter season, gather your friends and family for a snow day, just a 10-minute tram ride away from the desert floor!

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will close for annual preventative maintenance beginning Monday, September 8, through Sunday, October 12 with a tentative reopening date of Monday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. The last day to ride the Tram before the annual maintenance closure is Sunday, September 7.

“During this year’s shutdown, we will be rebuilding the carriage on cabin one, which supports the cabin as it rides on the track ropes, and replacing the counter haul rope,” says Vice President of Tramway Systems Chris Bartsch. “Our Switzerland-based technicians will be performing annual service to the controls system. Annual state-permit testing will also be conducted.”

Tramway General Manager Nancy Nichols adds, “To ensure the continued safety of our guests, the Tramway’s annual preventative maintenance closure provides our maintenance team the opportunity to conduct complex projects that cannot be completed during regular business hours.

We appreciate the community’s understanding each year and are eager to welcome them back in October.”