Palm Springs Aerial Tram and Indian Canyons

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
A favorite attraction in Palm Springs is the world-famous Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which ascends 8,500 feet up the side of Mt. San Jacinto in new, Swiss-made rotating tram cars. Starting in Chino Canyon near Palm Springs, the tram takes passengers from Valley Station at 2,643 feet elevation to Mountain Station on the edge of the Wilderness, elevation 8,516 feet - a breathtaking 15-minute journey up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon.
The Mountain Station features the Mount San Jacinto State Park Visitor Center, a restaurant, gift shop, and snack bar. At the top, mountain hiking trails wind among green, lush pine trees in the spring and summer, when camping, hiking and guided tours are available. In winter, the snow is deep enough for skiing, cross-country, snowshoeing or snowtubing.

Enjoy spectacular views of the desert below and sumptuous food from the Top of the Tram Restaurant located within Mountain Station, where lunch and dinner are served daily. In Long Valley, a short walk from the station, you will find the Long Valley Ranger Station, a picnic area with barbecue stoves and restrooms, a ski center, a self-guiding nature trail, and Desert View Trail which offers panoramas of the high country including several peaks over 10,000 feet in elevation.

You can also enter the hiking trail system from this point. The tram operates year-round, 10 a.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. weekends and holidays. Cars depart at least every half hour and the last car comes down at 9:45 p.m. For information, call (760) 325-1391 or visit www.pstramway.com.

Hiking from the Palm Springs Aerial Tram
A short walk from the Mountain Station, you can enter the hiking trail system. Trails range from the awe-inspiring 5 ½- mile trek to the 10,804 foot peak of San Jacinto to the just over one mile nature walk through picturesque Long Valley, located just behind the Tram's Mountain Station. Within the Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness are 54 miles of awesome hiking trails which will satisfy the appetite of the most avid outdoor enthusiast.

Indian Canyons
Located on Agua Caliente tribal land, the Indian Canyons offer undisturbed natural beauty and excellent foot trails combined with remarkably easy access to downtown Palm Springs. Tahquitz Canyon and three southern canyons – Palm, Andreas and Murray - are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Indian Canyons and associated resources are especially sacred to the Cahuilla Indians today, and are historically important to scientists and nature lovers.

Indian Canyons - Palm Canyon
Fifteen miles long, Palm Canyon is one of the great beauty spots in Western North America. Its indigenous flora and fauna, which the Cahuilla people so expertly used, and its abundant Washingtonia filifera (palm trees) are breathtaking contrasts to the stark, rocky gorges and barren desert lands beyond. A moderately graded, paved foot path winds down into the canyon for hiking, picnicking near the stream, meditating, exploring, or horseback riding. While in Palm Canyon, visit the Trading Post for hiking maps, refreshments, Indian art and artifacts, books, jewelry, pottery, baskets, weavings and conversational cultural lore. Arrangements for hiking tours can be made at the Palm Canyon Kiosk.

Indian Canyons - Andreas Canyon
The contrasting greens of the magnificent fan palms and more than 150 species of plants within a half-mile radius beckon the desert-weary traveler to this lush oasis. A favorite scenic foot trail leads through the canyon, passing groves of stately skirted palms, unusual rock formations (some containing Cahuilla rock art) and the perennial Andreas Creek, where one can still see bedrock mortars and metates used centuries ago for preparing food. This tranquil setting is excellent for hiking, photography, bird-watching or a picnic along the trail.

Indian Canyons - Murray Canyon
Murray is an easy hike south from Andreas Canyon. Foot and equestrian trails lead to beautiful recreation areas among the many palm trees. Lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of the peninsula Big Horn Sheep (an endangered species), wild ponies or other wild animals still roaming the high ground above the canyon. Less visited, Murray Canyon has its own secluded beauty; and the endangered Least Bells Vireo bird is known is known to nest here.

Tahquitz Canyon – A National Landmark
One of the most beautiful and culturally sensitive areas of the Agua Caliente Reservation, Tahquitz Canyon is home to a spectacular 60-foot waterfall, rock art, ancient irrigation systems, native wildlife and plants. Located at the entrance to the canyon, the Tahquitz Visitor Center offers hiking tours, educational and cultural exhibits. The Center has an observation deck, garden, picnic area and a theater room for a DVD which narrates the legend of Tahquitz Canyon. The Canyon Hiking Tour - 8:00am - 3:00pm - lasts approximately 2 hours and departs from the Visitors Center hourly. Planning is underway to establish the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum here in the near future. Visit www.tahquitzcanyon.com.