The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will close for scheduled maintenance on Tuesday, March 24, and is expected to reopen the following day, Wednesday, March 25. The closure is necessary so the maintenance team can shorten the counter haul rope.
Chris Bartsch, Vice President of Tramway Systems, said, “Whenever a new haul rope is installed, as we did during our annual preventative maintenance closure in October, shortening is always required after several months due to the natural stretch that occurs.”
The tramway has been recognized for its role in enhancing public access to natural wilderness and promoting appreciation of the Coachella Valley and Chino Canyon landscapes. It operates as a self-funded facility and repaid $8.15 million in private revenue bonds by 1996 according to its official website. Managed by the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority—a California state agency—the tramway offers scenic rides from the desert floor to an elevation of 8,516 feet in Mount San Jacinto State Park. The mountain station features restaurants, observation decks, a museum, theaters, and hiking trail access (official website).
Opened in 1963 after innovative construction methods were used to complete it, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has undergone modernizations and was named a historical civil engineering landmark as well as called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” (official website). It is known as the world’s largest rotating tram car.
The tramway management expressed gratitude for patrons’ understanding during this period.
