Palm Springs Aerial Tramway reopens with restrictions in place

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway reopens Thursday morning with pandemic-related restrictions instituted on the rotating cars taking passengers from the desert to the San Jacinto Mountains.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tramway will initially be open on
a Thursday-through-Monday schedule, with the first car set to head up at 8
a.m. and the last car down at 6 p.m.

The tramway has been shuttered for much of the pandemic, although it
did open briefly between October and December, until Gov. Gavin Newsom issued regional stay-at-home orders that were lifted late last month. Riverside County remains in the most restrictive, purple tier of the
governor's Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework.

The tramway's operator previously said the tramway is within the
transportation designation and could remain open under the purple tier, but with modified offerings.

All passengers must make advance reservations, cover their faces while
inside the tram or inside the Valley and Mountain stations, and submit to
temperature screenings. People must also cover their faces while inside Mount San Jacinto State Park when social distancing is not possible.

Tram car capacities will be significantly reduced to allow for social
distancing, and the time between each trip has been lengthened to allow for
sanitization of tram cars between trips.

The museum and documentary theaters will remain closed, as will the
Peaks Restaurant, although Pines Cafe will be open with outdoor seating.

Annual pass holders should expect to see their passes extended to
match the amount of days the tramway has been shut down.

Since 1963, the tramway has carried visitors 2 1/2 miles from Palm
Springs to the San Jacinto Mountains, a trip that takes about 10 minutes. At an elevation of more than 8,500 feet, Mountain Station is an entry point to more than 50 miles of hiking trails.

Reservations and more information is available at pstramway.com.